I Couldn't Leave Her
by fat1236
Summary: Peter's army attacks Miraz's castle, but when Edmund sees a girl tied up in a room, he knows he has to take her back with him. But why does he take her? Why was she there and why does he care about her so much? EdmundxOC
1. Girls & Wonder

Edmund hit the torch frantically as he tried to get it working again.

"Come on..." He muttered as members of the King's Guard started filing down the stairs, flashing it in the air triumphantly as it came back on.

He looked down into the castle courtyard as part of the Narnian army galloped in, he heard Peter cry "FOR NARNIA!" and watched as his family and friends fought, Susan a whirl of death with her arrows, the mice taking Guards by surprise and Caspian mowing down anyone within arm's reach.

He climbed up a roof and looking down saw a Guard about to shoot at Peter with a crossbow. Climbing over the roof ridge, he slid down the other side, flying into the man and sending him tumbling down to the ground noisily, alerting Peter of the danger from the crossbows surrounding the castle courtyard.

At Peter's yell, he sprinted back into the castle, dodging the bows being fired at him until he kicked the door shut behind him, rendering himself safe for the minute.

He stood quickly and was about to make for a door that would lead him to the roof of another tower when he saw something that made him stop.

Through the bars of a window in a doorway he could see a pair of slender arms clad in dark green tied to the ceiling.

His eyes narrowed and he stepped forward to peer through the bars, seeing a young girl, no more than his own age, fourteen or fifteen standing on her tiptoes, arms pulled taut above her to the ceiling, head lolling forwards. He stared a second and noticed her whole body shaking, he was guessing from cold and the strain of standing on her toes for a prolonged period of time.

"What the-?" he began. His breath caught in his throat as she looked up slightly through half closed eyes at the sound of his voice and in a split second decision he unbolted the door, darting in and drawing his sword, cutting through the rope swiftly, causing her to fall now she no longer had the rope pulling her upright.

He caught her as she fell and, supporting her against his body slid his sword back into its sheath before slinging her over his shoulder and running out onto the roof, locking the door behind him and running to the edge of the tower, looking down to the ground as the Guard tried to break down the door.

Two guards entered, swords drawn. They saw the girl over his shoulder and exchanged a glance before pointing their swords at him.

Edmund stepped into one of the tower cracks and realised he had a dilemma, he could jump and kill himself and the girl, or stay and just be killed himself.

He looked down and looking back at the guards, let himself fall backwards as though to the ground.

The guards rushed to the tower edge only to stumble back as a Griffin with Edmund and the girl on its back rose up, surprising them.

The griffin circled over the castle and Edmund took in the slaughtered army with growing horror as he wondered if his siblings had survived. He removed the girl carefully from his shoulder and carried her in his arms instead, her back resting on his knees and the griffins back.

The griffin flew after the survivors and Edmund saw Peter look over his shoulder at him as he rode away, Susan ahead of him on Glenstorm.

The journey back was silent and Edmund knew he should be thinking about their diminished army, but his attention kept being diverted by the sleeping girl in his arms. Her eyes were closed now and she looked peaceful, although her hands were still tied together he dared not untie them for fear of dropping her.

He dismounted and thanked the griffin at Aslans How, deciding to walk up the path with the remaining army.

He watched them bring Trumpkin forwards and would've helped were it not for the girl in his arms.

He walked forwards into The How after his family, ignoring the looks he was receiving from others.

He entered the room a few moments after Caspian and his siblings and was greeted with a tense silence before-

"What have you got there Edmund?" Peter asked dolefully, looking up from his seat.

Edmund shifted her in his grasp slightly so Peter could see her faintly in the dim candlelight.

"ED! You brought a girl back with you!" Peter asked, astounded.

"She was tied up and-" Edmund tried to defend himself.

"Did you ever think there was a reason for her being tied up?? Did you ever think maybe she's a dangerous criminal? Do we really want to anger Miraz more by taking someone from his castle?" He asked angrily.

Edmund was silent a moment before answering, "I couldn't leave her" in a whisper.

Peter looked at him sharply, eyes narrowing as he heard Edmunds sad tone of voice. He approached him quickly.

"And why not? Why couldn't you leave – Oh..." Peter trailed of as he got a look at the girl in his arms. "Oh" he repeated softly, lapsing into silence as he too stared at the girl.

"What is it?" Caspian asked stonily.

Susan looked at the sleeping girl, realisation dawning on her face.

"When we left Narnia all that time ago," she explained, "Edmund left more behind than any of us. He had a...wife, she was called Ayesha and..." she looked at Edmund, "he loved her very much." She whispered. "We often teased him about how much even" she gave a small, sad laugh, looking at the ground. She looked back at the girl in Edmunds arms, "this girl, looks exactly like Ayesha when she and Ed first met..."

"I couldn't leave her." He repeated in a whisper, tears forming in his eyes as Susan told Caspian about the woman who had meant more to him than anything else in his life.

Edmund looked at the sleeping girl, he'd had one of the Faun's in to look at her and knew there was nothing wrong with her, she was just physically exhausted and needed sleep.

He'd removed the rope tying her hands together and now looked at the red chaff marks she had where it had dug into her cruelly, marking her delicate wrists and staining her olive skin.

Her eye-lids fluttered and she gave a slight moan before sinking into the pillows of Edmunds bed further, her eyes opening lazily.

He smiled at her from his chair.

"Hello, I'm King Edmund, who are you?"

"Esha" she murmured with a small smile, her eyes closing in a slow blink, making her miss Edmunds astounded face before he schooled it back into his normal one.

A/N : "Esha" is short for "Ayesha" anyone who didn't know 

Well I hope you all liked it :D Please review, it's very inspiring for me to get good reviews.

Disclaimer!: I don't own the Narnia characters, just Esha.


	2. Kings & Pain

_Ok so I've decided to turn it into a story after some requests._

_Here's part 2, sorry it's taken me so long to put it up but I've been a bit busy. Ok so now It's a full story, I need to explain a few things. I decided that Edmunds ago in the film would make him a bit too young to be able to just carry someone around easily, so here's the ages: Peter – 20  
Susan – 19  
Edmund – 17  
Lucy – 16  
Esha – 16_

_Enjoy! xxx_

Esha woke up, her back and wrists sore but feeling comfy and warm and much safer then she'd felt in months, surrounded in what could only be soft quilts. She gave a slight sigh, but her dry throat made it sound more like a moan.

She opened her eyes slightly, swallowing and staring at the ceiling before becoming aware of someone watching her.

She turned her head to see a boy, about seventeen years old staring at her, a small smile making his brown eyes crinkle up at the edges as he looked at her from under a fringe of dark brown hair.

"Hello, I'm King Edmund, who are you?" He asked, his voice deep and quiet.

"Esha" She said sleepily, not even pausing to consider who he was before she told him. Her eyes felt dry and she blinked slowly, still feeling sleepy and more dream-like then real.

There was silence as his words repeated themselves in her head. "_King Edmund, King Edmund...King...." _ She froze as the thought finally processed in her brain and she realised what "King" meant, and what it had meant for her last time she'd been near a king.

In a flurry of movement she had flung back the sheets and quilts that had been keeping her warm, struggled out of the bed and was a few steps away when the pain in her leg muscles finally hit her, making her grab out for the nearest thing to hold onto, her teeth biting into her lower lip as she stopped herself from crying out.

Arms quickly lifted her in support and she gasped in pain as they picked her up, one arm under her legs and the other under her back.

Looking up she saw King Edmund looking down at her in concern.

She knew her eyes were wide and fearful, but right now she just wanted to get away, run away from this _King _and the pain, but she couldn't get down, each time she moved pain shot through her back, or her legs, forcing her to a stop.

He put her down on the bed gently and she dragged herself as far away from him as possible, flinching at each blast of pain, hiding herself in the quilts slightly as he sat down on the bed.

"Are you in great pain?" He asked gently.

She gazed at him, terrified and confused. Why should he care how she felt? The last one hadn't.

She painfully pulled her legs to her chest and moved to wrap her arms around them, but as her back curved she cried out, unable to stop a hand from flying to her back as the pain shot through her, making her eyes screw shut as she tried to block it out.

He was behind her in an instant, moving her long hair over her right shoulder and inspecting her back through the dress.

His eyes narrowed as he noticed blood seeping through the material, staining it in blotches all over her back.

Without thinking, he reached to move the back of her dress down and see her back, but she'd recovered by now and twisted slightly, laying on her back and rolling over away from him, leaving dotted red stains on the white quilts.

"Hey I-. I just want to help you..." He said lamely as she stood up, both hands gripping the back of the chair he'd been sitting on as she swayed, trying to remain upright.

"I...don't...need...help." She panted through teeth clenched from pain.

"Yes you do!" He insisted, he'd always been a sucker for beautiful girls and he hated to see anyone in pain. "You're bleeding! And you can't even stand up straight!"

"What's going on here?" Asked Peter as he walked through the open doorway.

Esha whirled around at his voice, nearly loosing balance and wincing in pain as her back started bleeding in more places.

Peter stopped and stared at her.

"Ed!" He exclaimed in horror. "What did you do??"

"I did nothing!" He said in outrage. "She moved and started bleeding, and she won't let me see what the problem is!"

"Well she's only just met you; she's hardly likely to trust you is she?" Peter reasoned, moving around the bed to stand in front of Edmund.

"I brought her back from the castle! Why shouldn't she trust me?"

"Well we don't know why she was even there!"

"Well it obviously wasn't for something good!"

"And how do you know that?"

"Oh please Peter, the rope tied around her wrists was a good thing??"

"Well why don't we just ask her why she was there?"

"Why don't we?"

"Well ask her then!"

"Fine. I will!"

Edmund turned to look at Esha, but she wasn't there. She'd stumbled out of the room while the two brothers were fighting and was now in the passage outside, leaning against the wall, breathing heavily and blacking out from the pain shooting through her back every time she moved, overwhelming and making her forget the ache in the rest of her body.

She slumped to the ground, completely out of it as she let the blackness fill her mind.


	3. Thrashed & Lashed

_A/N : Ok so here's chapter 3. I still haven't decided what happens in the rest of the story yet so if it suddenly starts sounding like a completely different story then I'm very sorry :P. Anyway hope you like it :D. Please review it once you've read it. It's very inspiring for me. Love you all!!!_

"ESHA!" Edmund yelled out as he and Peter rushed out of the door, sprinting down the passage and skidding to a stop as he saw her, slumped to the floor.

"Oh no-" He stooped down; kneeling on one knee beside her he gently stroked her face. "Esha? Esha can you hear me?" She didn't move and Edmund started to pull her up, careful not to touch her back and having to sling her gently over his shoulder so he didn't hurt her anymore.

"Get Lucy!" he called over his other shoulder to Peter as he turned around, walking back down the corridor.

He set her down on his bed for the third time that day. Laying her down on her front and proceeding to cut off the back of her dress with a small dagger, he stopped at her hips and sides to protect her modesty.

He slowly and gently pulled the material off her; it stuck to her skin slightly from all of the blood.

His breath caught in his throat, choking him as he stared wordlessly at her back.

Her smooth, tanned skin was scarred with lashes, he counted exactly twenty. Each resembled the mark of a harsh whip and while they all had scabbed over, some had cracked open and were now oozing blood, telling Edmund that she had been through this ordeal recently. Some were smaller wounds then others and the skin around them looked tender, making him think they were slightly older and half-healed before breaking open again.

He sank into the chair behind him, his hands raised to his face in horror as he stared at her, transfixed by the sight before him. He felt repulsed, but not by the state she was in, but by the person or people who had done this to her. She was only a girl, perhaps a young woman and he was sure she couldn't have done anything bad enough to deserve this.

Peter rushed in with Lucy and while he also stopped in his tracks and stared wide-eyed at Esha, Lucy immediately glided over and gently turning the girls face to the side, let a drop fall between her slightly parted lips.

The three watched as her skin seemed to glow and gloss over, finally returning to normal, her wounds now gone and only smooth, even skin left in its place.

"I want to speak to her and find out why she was in the castle when she wakes up." A recovered Peter told Edmund and Lucy as Esha slept on, a sheet now covering her body. The young Queen ushered her brothers outside, however it was in vain for Edmund returned to Esha's side five minutes later as soon as he knew his sister was busy elsewhere.

Esha had flipped over in her sleep and he watched as she tossed and turned, getting more agitated as the minutes passed by.

"No! Please!" She cried out suddenly. "Stop! It hurts!" She let out a whimper and her body twisted as though she was trying to avoid something.

The sheet had wrapped itself around her form as she wriggled and moved around but finally Edmund couldn't take it anymore, he'd watched her thrashing around for what felt like an eternity and now he shook her shoulder gently, nearly getting a broken nose as her arms flailed around at his touch.

"No!" She moaned before bolting upright, making Edmund jump out of the way hastily. Her dress was luckily still intact at the front.

Her eyes were wide but they soon closed as she sobbed, curling in on herself.

Edmund quickly hugged her, rocking her very gently before he even considered what he was doing.

"I saw it all again. Felt every hit." She whispered tearfully as her sobs slowed down to hiccups.

"Saw what again?" He asked her gently, unwilling to bring on another onslaught of tears.

She stiffened at his voice as she realised whose chest she was crying into.

"Oh I - I'm sorry..." She stammered. "I thought you were someone else..."

She wriggled in his grasp as she tried to escape. He let her go, and she scrambled up, a look of surprise passing her face.

He saw her hand reach up her back, feeling smooth skin where there should have been scars and wounds under a dress.

"How long have I been asleep?" She asked haltingly.

"Only a few hours." He said with a smile. "My sister, Queen Lucy, healed you."

Her brows knitted together as she pondered his words.

"You're King Edmund." She stated. "You have a sister called Queen Lucy who healed me in a few hours..." Her eyes widened. "The Kings and Queens of old." She whispered to herself.

"Yes." He stood up, noticing her back away slightly.

"I'm sorry if I scared you before..."

"I wasn't scared." She replied automatically and he smiled as he recalled that he had said exactly the same thing every time he had been scared.

"Come, my brother wants to speak to you."

She hesitated. "Is he a King as well?"

"Yes. As I'm sure you know from the stories." He said with a crooked smile.

She hesitated even more.

"Look," Edmund began, "I don't know what you're so scared off, or why you were in that awful castle, but my brother only wants to speak to you about it, he's not going to do anything to you, especially not whip you." He said, a fire in his eyes as he said the last words.

"I can't." She whispered.

"Can't what?"

"I can't say why I was there."

"Why not? My family won't judge you for anything."

She paused, "But I judge myself." She whispered, looking at the floor.

"I don't understand." He said, his eye-brows knitting together.

"I judge myself for being in that castle, and it hurts me to talk about it." She told him slowly and shakily, her voice louder now.

"Look." He said as he crossed the room. "We need to know why you were there, we're not going to think badly of you, I know you were there for a bad reason, you're back said it all! But I would really like to help you, but I can't until I know why you were there!"

She looked at him a moment, walked a few steps before stopping and asking timidly, "Are you coming with me?"

"Of course." He replied, his smile back on his face. He wasn't big on smiling all the time, however in the few minutes he had been talking to her, her gentle manner and aura seemed to make him smile and feel more cheerful then he had felt in a year. One thousand and three hundred years in Narnia time.

He gently put his hand in the small of her back to guide her forwards through the doorway and as she shivered slightly at his touch, he misread it for a shiver at his cold fingers.

"Oh, so sorry." He said profusely and swinging of his cloak, placed it around her shoulders, concealing her bare back and gesturing again to the doorway.


	4. Tears & Stories

_A/N : Ok so here we are, chapter 4 :)  
I really hope you all like it, otherwise I've wasted a good half hour writing it!  
I was planning on writing part of the story based on why Esha looks like Edmunds wife from ages ago, but I can't be bothered now and I can't really think of any storyline with it that I'd be satisfied with :S  
Anyway, please read my other stories :) and please review it!!!!!_

"Here we are." Edmund stopped outside an open doorway before going in. "Pete, Esha's here." He stood on one side of the doorway to make room for her.

She walked in slowly with hesitating footsteps, her hands clasped together nervously in front of her.

"Ah, hello Esha, I'm glad to see you're well again." Peter greeted her pleasantly, standing up from behind a table.

She said nothing, instead looking around at the people and animals in the room. Four people, the High King included sat the table, while a dwarf, mouse, centaur, badger and bear lined the walls.

This was the first time she'd seen the Narnians and she gave a small smile as she realised who they were.

Finally she turned and looked at Edmund again, as though seeking his reassurance. He gave her a smile and came to stand on her right briefly, touching his hand lightly to hers as he walked past before joining his brother at the table, sitting down in his chair and relaxing back with his long legs in front of him, totally at ease.

"Tell me Esha, why were you in Miraz's castle?" Asked Peter as he sat, getting straight to the point.

"I'd rather not say." She whispered, her arms unconsciously wound around her body as though she was trying to protect herself from their gaze.

"Did you perhaps anger Miraz?"

The silence became increasingly uncomfortable.

"Esha?" She looked up at Edmunds quiet voice. He was sitting up in his chair now, leaning slightly on the table, eyes fixed on her quizzically.

"It's not something that I am proud of, or enjoy talking about, so while I don't have to, I'd rather not." She said carefully, lowering her eyes to the floor under Edmunds intense gaze.

"We can only help you if we know..." Edmund trailed of softly, still watching her intently.

She looked up into his eyes and after a few seconds consideration decided that they were friendly. He genuinely seemed to want to help her, but there was something else there, an underlying darkness or another side to him. She shivered and deliberated what to say for a moment.

She was more than reluctant to say why she had been in the castle. She hated thinking about it and talking about it could bring tears to her eyes and make her over-emotional. But King Edmund had asked her to, and as much as she would never admit it, she trusted him, despite what was hidden in his eyes. After all, from what she'd overheard he and King Peter say, it had been him who brought her from the castle.

"Miraz wanted me in his castle." She told them hesitantly, pausing.

"Because..." Peter prompted impatiently.

Edmund shot him a dirty look when Esha was looking at the ground.

She took a shuddering breath. "Because he was unhappy that his wife could not bear him a son." She said quickly, in a rush to get the words out of her mouth.

Everyone looked astounded, but Edmunds jaw comically dropped open in shock.

She looked up as the silence stretched on and upon seeing their reactions she buried her own face in her hands, hiding their faces from her view as a few tears leaked from the corners of her eyes, her back shaking.

This was exactly why she hadn't wanted to tell them.

She heard a chair scrape back and felt someone wrap their strong arm around her slender shoulders securely.

She shook her head slightly as she tried to keep her tears at bay, she'd done enough crying in the last few months to last her a life-time.

Their other arm wrapped around her and she recognized the strong, musky scent of King Edmund that was on the cloak he had leant her, informing her of who was so graciously lending her a shoulder to cry on.

She leaned into his chest and let him comfort her, knowing she would feel better and recover her composure more quickly if she let her feelings out as he murmured reassuring nothings into her hair.

He shuffled her over to his chair again and sat her down in it, kneeling in front of her.

She kept her hands to her face, although she had reduced from crying to sniffing now. She was afraid of what they would think of her face if they saw it all red and blotchy. Edmund moved her hands away from her face and clasped her small hands in his to stop her covering her beautiful face again. His thumbs smeared the tears covering her hands, helping them dry quickly as he tried to convey his emotional support.

"Why don't you start from the beginning?" Susan asked the younger girl gently, rubbing her arm reassuringly.

Esha was still reluctant to tell them, it was nothing for her to be proud of and now she was finally away from the castle she just wanted to bury the memories so deeply in her mind they'd never resurface again.

"Well...three months ago I went to a ball at the castle. My father's a Lord of Court, so our family was invited. I got all dressed up in my nicest gown and did my hair and everything." She said with a small, bitter and false laugh.

"When we got there Miraz showed a 'special' interest in me, asking me to dance, making sure I had refreshments...I thought it was for you." Here she looked up at a startled Caspian. "I thought that he had you in mind. I thought about how happy it would make my parents if I became Queen. They've always been hopeful. My mother says I have the looks and grace." She smiled as she thought of her mother and took a breath to continue her sad story.

"I remember you!" Said Caspian suddenly. "You were the talk of the ball! Everyone was saying how beautiful you are and commenting on how Miraz was dancing with you!"

"What and you didn't suspect anything when she went missing?" Peter asked him incredulously.

"Well...no...." Caspian answered, looking at Peter strangely. "People go missing all the time..."

"Well the least you could've done was help with the searches!" Peter seemed intent on starting an argument with Caspian.

"And what makes you think I didn't?? You have no right to judge me!! I-"

Edmund cleared his throat loudly and the two men seemed to remember where they were and why they were there. They both dropped their eyes ashamedly.

"Every week Miraz would summon me to his castle." She continued, looking down at her and Edmunds hands. "He'd send a messenger and I'd come like the fool I am. He seemed charming and we talked about many things. Until one day, we were in the garden sitting on a bench. He told me that he loved me and he wasn't happy in his marriage. I ran of course, but that night two of his soldiers came and kidnapped me from my bedroom. Miraz pretended to have a search for me, but nobody ever thought to look in his castle." She stopped and swallowed loudly in the silence that followed her words.

"Did he ever...?" Edmund asked from in front of her, his voice sounding slightly strangled.

"No, no. He never got the chance. He only came at night, when his wife was sound asleep and the first few times I managed to fight him off by screaming and waking up his wife so he had to leave. He didn't want her knowing about his bit on the side he'd locked up. He told me about how he wanted his son to be handsome and that I was the best specimen he'd ever seen. It was all about what he wanted, never what I wanted, although it was _my _life he was ruining! In the end it all came down to looks. He only wanted me so his son would be 'superior'" The tears were leaking from her eyes again but she made no attempt to wipe them away, instead leaving her hands in Edmunds until he separated one of their hands and wiped the tears gently away for her.

She gave him a watery smile and he smiled back sympathetically.

"Then they found out the Queen was pregnant. She was a late developer and her bump didn't show until she only had two months of her pregnancy left. Miraz stopped coming to try and...you know...instead they would tie me up and leave me for hours and he would visit about once a week. When their son was born and you ran away, everyone seemed to forget about me, there were no more searches for me, they were all for you and Miraz ordered me to be whipped into submission...he wanted me to stay quiet...would you believe it, he still tried to tell me he loved me and wanted me...it was only a few lashes every now and then, but they hurt so much...." She broke down into tears, pulling her hands out of Edmunds and covering her face again.

Edmund stood and, picking her up turned to everyone. "I think we've upset her enough for one day." His siblings didn't protest as he carried her away for they had seen the look on his face and heard in his voice how much her story and anguish had upset him.


	5. Trains & Fights

_A/N : I'm sorry it's been so long but my life is quite busy right now with exams and shizzle._

_Well, here's the next chapter, I've tried to make it long and PLEASE R&R. It makes me feel happy :) xxx_

"Shhhhhh. It's ok." Edmund reassured her, rubbing her back soothingly through his cloak to calm her down. He wanted to hug her and hold her close, but his manners held him back.

"Why are you being so nice to me? I'm a Telmarine." She mumbled once she'd calmed down.

"I don't think I am being really, it just seems so to you after your last few months." He replied lightly. "And besides, Caspian's a Telmarine, it makes no difference."

She gave a hiccupy laugh and sat up, wiping her tears of her cheeks and rubbing her eyes. She looked up at him from under her long lashes, and although her eyes were rimmed red from crying he realised how beautiful her eyes were. She looked similar to his Ayesha, but her eyes were hazel instead of grey, and they had a ring of blue around the outside that made them one-of-a-kind.

"If you're a King of old, why are you back now? Surely you're dead?"

Edmund drew himself out of his thoughts at the sound of her voice and dragged his gaze away from her eyes, trying to concentrate on her words. "Caspian blew Susan's horn, you know the one that brings you help, and we were brought here. It was quite inconvenient really; we were about to catch the train home from school to see our mother."

She wrinkled her nose delicately. "Train?"

"Yeah...it's a big thing made of metal that moves. You sit in it and it takes you to places by railway tracks."

She was starting to look confused and he laughed at her gently. "Don't worry. In my world, everything is more advanced. But I definitely prefer Narnia."

"I think I'd like to see this train and whale-way trucks." She told him, getting the words wrong.

Strangely, talking to King Edmund calmed her down in a way that only one other had been able to, making her forget her own worries and troubles as she tried to imagine his "train". In her mind, she could see a rolling mass of metal with people trapped inside of it.

"Well...maybe I'll build you some small ones when this war is over." He told her hesitantly, causing her to smile as he practically told her he wanted to be her friend and know her later on.

"Thank you King Edmund. I would enjoy that." She smiled tentatively.

"Call me Edmund. Or even better, Ed!"

"Ok." She said with a bigger smile. "What day is it?" She asked him suddenly.

"Oh...well I don't know. I know what day it is back home in England, but I've only been here about three days so I'm not sure. We could ask Caspian. Why don't you know?"

"They didn't tell me at the castle." She said softly, her eyes distanced. "At first I counted meals to tell me what time of day it was and how many days had passed, but I lost count after fifty-seven days."

He could think of no reply to her sad answer, instead he clasped her hand, rubbing circles on the back of it in silent encouragement.

The two sat in contemplation for a while before Edmund surprised her with a question.

"When you...woke up and found that your...cuts had gone, who did you think I was?"

She looked at him in confusion, realisation dawning on her face as she realised what he was talking about.

She looked suitably embarrassed.

"I'm sorry about that." She said, seeming to miss his question.

"Its fine, I just...you obviously thought I was someone else before I spoke..."

"When I was in the castle, different servants would come to give me some food. One who came was a boy called Jimmy. He'd always been a servant there, he'd had to take after his father and he was the only servant brave enough to talk to me; he wasn't scared of Miraz giving him a beating. He felt sorry for me and would bring me an ointment to stop the cuts getting infected and sit and talk to me for a while. Tell me about his life, tell me funny stories and just make me forget my own sorrows for a few minutes every now and then. He always said he'd get me out one day, and he nearly did once...but we were heard by a Guard in another corridor and I told Jimmy to hide. There was no point two of us getting a beating. Every time I was beaten, Jimmy would come up a few hours later and comfort me, help me calm down. He was my only friend in that castle; I wish I could see him now." She finished wistfully. "I'll always be grateful to him."

"You've been through a lot for someone so young." Edmund said quietly, his wisdom from all those years ago showing.

She gave a faint smile and looked at her hands. "Not as much as you though. You fought The White Witch when you were much younger than me!"

"But I didn't have to go through pain every day for the best part of three months." He argued.

"But I didn't have to be brave."

"Nor did I!"

"Oh yes, because destroying The White Witch's wand wasn't at all brave..." She teased him, not at all sure how far she could push her playfulness with him.

He smiled.

"Nor was saving me." She added on as an afterthought, still teasing.

He spoke straight away with no hesitation as she finished. "Saving you wasn't brave."

"No?" She asked, eye-brows raised inquisitively.

"No. Taking you from that castle took no guts at all. I just...did it. I didn't even have to think about it. I just knew that I had to take you with me. I couldn't leave you." He struggled to express himself.

She smiled at his awkward but truthful response. She looked down at her hand, still clasped in his and squeezed it gently.

"Ed, dinner's ready..." Said Peter as he strolled through the door.

Edmund whipped around to stare at his brother, him and Esha immediately leaning away from each other and dropping the others hand. Esha looked down in embarrassment, suddenly finding her dress very interesting.

"Oh...so sorry...I didn't realise..." Peter trailed of, grinning and waggling his eye-brows at Edmund when Esha wasn't looking.

"What's for dinner?" Edmund asked hastily, changing the subject.

"No idea...better be something hot though..."

"You coming Esha?"

The girl looked up quickly. "Oh, I'll be there in a second, I just need to go get something..."

She swept from the room gracefully, Edmund and Peter following her before turning off at an intersection.

"Ed!" Lucy said happily, waving at her brother as he and Peter walked into the room.

"Alright Luce?" He responded, giving her a grin, sitting down and biting into some bread.

"Where is Esha?" Asked Caspian, looking through the doorway as though he expected her to appear at any moment.

"She said she needed to get something. She'll be here soon."

"How do we know she's hasn't gone to betray us?" Nikabrik asked, suspicious as always.

"And how would she betray us??" Asked Peter. "Miraz already knows where we are...and Esha knows hardly anything about us!"

"Why did you bring her with you?" Growled Nikabrik at Edmund as Peter hammered down his suspicions.

Edmund swallowed his spoonful of soup. "Because." Edmund said as a reply, not wanting to tell the black dwarf about his wife. That was between him and his siblings, and now Caspian.

"Because what??" Shouted the dwarf, jumping up angrily. "Because you want us all dead??"

"Calm down Nikabrik! Or I _shall _sit on your head." Trufflehunter commanded him, as angry as Nikabrik, but not at the dark King. "You have no right to speak to King Edmund like that!"

"I shall speak to him however I like! That tyrant won't stop looking for the girl! You heard her; she was kidnapped from her own bedroom, from the house of a Lord by her looks! Do you hear me?? He had his Guards slip through her house, and past the Guards in her house, just because he wanted her! He's not going to be afraid to slaughter us all to get to her and Caspian!"

"So what you would've just left her there? Left her tied up and shaking from exhaustion?" Edmund questioned him, his voice low and dangerous, his hidden darkness making a rare appearance.

"Yes." Nikabrik responded, saying it as though it was the most obvious answer in all of Narnia.

"Of course you would! You're a cold-hearted black dwarf!! I'd expect nothing less! You didn't see her in that room! She was strung up from the ceiling like she was in a butchers shop! She couldn't stop shaking she was so tired!" Edmund stood and glowered over the table at the Dwarf, twice his height.

His hair was falling in his eyes which were shooting black fire at Nikabrik, and the Dwarf for a moment looked scared as he looked at his furious face.

"That girl will bring nothing but trouble! We need to dispose of her while we can!"

"That girl will stay with us as long as she wants, and I will personally make sure she is under no threat from inside or outside our army!!" Edmund shot back, his words full of venom towards the dwarf. Nikabrik and Edmund both started to walk around the table towards each other and Peter and Caspian tensed, ready to spring up if anything should go wrong.

"You should be running this army! You should be ensuring that Narnia wins this war, not running around after pretty Telmarine girls! We've all seen the way you look at her! She's only been here five minutes and-"

With a cry Edmund launched himself at the Dwarf, Peter springing up and holding his brother back as Lucy screamed.

"Edmund stop it!" Susan yelled as Caspian hurried to put himself between him and Nikabrik.

Edmund stopped struggling. "Get off me." He snapped at Peter before turning and stomping out of the temporary dining room.


	6. Witches & Laughter

_A/N : Ok so here's the next chapter. I'm sorry my updates are so irregular but I lead a very busy life and right now I'm a bit preoccupied. But anyway, this chapter by my standards is very long and took me agesssss to write so I hope you all appreciate it!!_

_As always, please review, it'll make me feel good and inspire me to write more. _

_Love you all xxx_

Esha sat on top of The Hows entrance, looking out over the forest and watching the sunset. The last rays of sunlight lit up her face, enhancing her skins golden glow. She sighed and screwed her eyes shut, putting her head in her hands and trying to push away her tiredness. She should've been at dinner with the royals and their council, but despite having not eaten for nearly two days she didn't feel hungry, and she certainly didn't feel up to being glared at and asked questions that she couldn't answer about Miraz and his plans.

"You ok?" Asked Edmund as he sat down next to her, making her jump and sit up straight. She hadn't heard him approaching and still felt slightly uneasy in her new environment.

"Oh...yes, yes I'm fine."

"You didn't come to dinner..."

"I didn't really feel much like being interrogated." She told him, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

He looked surprised. "I wouldn't have interrogated you!"

She gave him a small smile. "I know, but can you say that for everyone else?"

"No...no I suppose not." He answered after a moment of deliberation. "Everyone just wants to win this war."

"Yes, but asking me questions I can't answer won't help anyone. And from past experiences, I know people get angry when you can't give them the answers they want." She said shrewdly, a small amount of bitterness entering her voice.

He peeked at her from the corner of his eye, his hair constricting part of his view, and saw her staring resolutely ahead. "True." He replied.

She was silent, thinking about her friends and family.

"You look deep in thought...." He commented, drawing her out of her thoughts. She hadn't realised he'd been watching her and she blushed, thinking how sometimes she would stick her tongue out of the side of her mouth in concentration and hoping very much that this wasn't one of those times.

"Just thinking about my parents, they must be devastated."

"That Miraz kidnapped you?"

"No." She said with a small laugh. "They don't know about that. They must be devastated that I'm missing, I'm their only child."

"Oh I see. Do your parents like animals?" He asked after a moment's silence.

"Some of them...." She said cautiously.

"What about squirrels?"

"My mother loves them but my father doesn't."

"Well, we could send Pattertwig with a message to your mother saying you're safe."

"Really? You could do that??" She asked eagerly.

"Yeah! Come on, let's go find him! Actually, we don't even need to do that... Pattertwig!" He yelled suddenly, grinning at Esha when the red squirrel came bounding out of The How.

"Yes my King, you called. I mean, did you, did you really call?" Chattered the talkative squirrel.

"Yes I did. Esha here would like to send a message to her parents and you were the first I thought of!"

"Was I really? Oh my, how flattering, a King thinking of me first! I mean-"

"Will you do it?"

"Yes of course! Yes-"

"Jolly good, ok then, listen to Esha."

"My Lady? I'm listening, I really-"

"I want you to tell my mother, she's fond of squirrels. I live in the house of Violet, fifteen miles west of here, the one with ivy growing up the walls and the pear orchard. My mother has dark blonde hair and normally wears brown or red."

"Brown or red...got it."

"Ok, I want you to tell her that Miraz kidnapped me, but I'm safe now and I'm with the Narnians. Tell her not to worry and that I'll be home soon." She hesitated slightly as she considered what else to say. "That should be about it...oh, tell her I love her and father very much and that I miss them." She said sadly.

"Ok, I'll be back tomorrow." Said Pattertwig as he bounced away.

Edmund smiled at her. "Come on; let's go get you something to eat."

They climbed down a few feet until Edmund jumped the remaining way down, holding his arms out to help Esha down.

Lifting her down next to him easily they heard a snarl, followed by a deep growl. Turning to look at each other for a moment with wide eyes they ran forwards into The How, following Peter, Lucy and Trumpkin who emerged a few metres in front of them.

Charging into the main room of the tomb Esha stopped in shock at what she saw.

"The White Witch." She whispered. She was floating in a wall of ice and Esha only knew it was her from the few pictures her mother had shown her secretly a few years ago.

She wore a white dress that floated around her gracefully and her skin was paler then the ice, seeming to shine it was so white.

Something to their left snarled and Edmund ran to intercept the Werewolf charging at them before it could reach Esha. Lucy and Trumpkin had taken on Nikabrik together while Peter was running towards Caspian, pushing him out of the circle drawn on the floor and breaking his eye contact with The White Witch.

Everyone had missed the Hag with its black cloak and stooped back. It seemed to shrink slightly before Esha's eyes as it tried to make itself less noticeable.

She watched it walk towards a preoccupied Edmund menacingly and cast around herself frantically, she had no weapon!

She finally picked up a large rock and threw it at the Hag; hitting it on the back and making it cry out, alerting Edmund that it was there.

The Hag turned on Esha furiously; everyone was too busy to help her and she still had no weapon.

"Esha!" Edmund yelled as he dodged the Werewolf, taking a swipe at it and grazing its leg.

The creature gave a howl of agony.

"Ed!" She cried back, not at all sure what to do with herself.

She looked around for more rocks, but there were only small ones that were more like pebbles.

The Hag was advancing, only a few metres away now and Esha realised she would either have to run for it or fight with her bare hands.

She braced herself, planting her feet firmly in the ground and raised her arms in front of her to defend herself and attack.

She looked on in shock as an arrow seemed to produce from its head and it was only as it fell to the floor that Esha realised it was dead.

Edmund stood a few feet behind it, sword raised and ready to strike, but it was not Edmund who had killed the Hag.

Esha whirled around, nodding at Susan in thanks as the older girl stood in the doorway, her bow still raised.

Esha looked around the room, all of the enemy were dead, but now Peter stood in Caspian's place, staring at The Witch, transfixed. Trumpkin was helping Lucy stand back up and Edmund was nowhere to be seen.

Esha scanned her eyes around the room again, thinking she'd missed him at first glance but was soon distracted as she heard a smooth voice that sent chills running through her body.

"You know you can't do this alone." The White Witch encouraged Peter, setting Esha's hair tingling. The Witch seemed oblivious to the way her voice made everyone presents breath catch in their throat.

Several heartbeats past with Peter and The Witch staring at each other.

A crack appeared in the ice and The Witch stared down at her mid-drift in shock, breaking her eye contact with Peter and allowing his brain to function properly again. A second of silence passed before she gave a horrific scream as the ice shattered into a thousand pieces, revealing the wall and person behind it.

Edmund lowered his arms that he'd raised to protect himself, sword in hand.

"I know. You had it sorted." He told Peter bitterly, something Esha didn't understand but Peter obviously did.

Edmund walked around all of the ice, approaching Esha and the entrance.

"Are you ok?" He asked her, concern evident in his voice as he looked at the fallen hag a few meters away.

She nodded dumbfoundedly, looking at him in a slightly different light then she had before.

"I need some fresh air." And with that he walked out of the room.

Esha turned numbly to watch him go, seeing Susan still behind her. The older girl was looking above Esha's head and shook her own head slightly, disappointment on her face before following Edmund's example and leaving the room.

Esha looked back at everyone in the room, Peter and Caspian were standing there, looking at the space Susan had just disappeared, their faces unreadable.

Peter turned to Caspian angrily. "What the hell did you think you were doing? Putting us all in danger like that?"

Caspian fired up. "Me putting us all in danger? You were the one who couldn't take your eyes of The Witch! You looked like Edmund!"

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

Caspian gestured around the room. "It means that you looked as besotted with her as Edmund does with-" He broke of as he spotted Esha standing in the doorway.

Peter whipped around and froze when he saw her as well.

"I hope your both satisfied with your work today." Esha said sarcastically, trying to ignore what they had been saying.

"_Who could Edmund be besotted with? The only other females here besides me are his sisters!" _She wondered to herself.

The last remaining piece of ice fell from the roof and seemed to snatch Esha out of her thoughts. She walked out in a stately fashion, having decided she'd had enough of this room. She went to the temporary kitchen and ate some still warm soup that had been for dinner, not even noticing its taste before going outside again.

It was dark by now and she didn't notice Edmund sitting in her spot until she was right beside him.

"That was a brave thing you did." She told him.

"Was it?" He asked, his voice flat and dull.

"Yes! First you took on the werewolf, and then you destroyed The Witch before she could do any harm. Another thing to add to your list of brave deeds." She said with a smile.

He smiled slightly in return. "Well, I was taken in by her before and I'm not going to be again! I nearly had my family killed last time."

"_Why did I just tell her that??"_ Edmund thought to himself.

"Oh I read about that. You didn't though, so it's all fine. King Edmund The...Just isn't it?"

"Yeah. I hate it."

"What? Why? I'd love to have a name like that! Obviously without the King bit and with my name instead of your though." She joked.

He laughed. "Well, I've always thought it meant more of...Just Edmund. You know, like, only Edmund, plain Edmund, that kind of thing. The others get the fancy names, I'm just...Edmund. And I personally think my name would suit you."

She snorted in response. "I don't think fancy names help you. Look at your brother; he nearly gave into The Witch today. If it wasn't for you, she'd be here now, and we'd probably all be dead."

He smiled at her. "It doesn't change my name though."

"Well if it helps, you're more than 'Just Edmund' to me." She told him, bumping their shoulders together gently.

"Thanks. It does make me feel better." He told her, his smile bigger on his face as he bumped their shoulders again, being careful to be gentle.

She bumped him back, causing him to bump her back and they went on, until Esha shoved him playfully, making him fall of the rock they were sitting on.

She laughed loudly and Edmund savoured her laugh a moment before getting up with a small growl.

"Ahhh..." She cried as he stood and she sprang up, running away laughing while he chased her, trying to catch up with her.

She jumped down from the How's roof and hid round the side of it, peeking round the corner every now and then and trying to conceal her laughter.

She looked around the corner once more and jumped a mile when she heard a soft "Boo." In her ear.

She whipped around and took of laughing again until Edmund tackled her to the floor, trapping her underneath him.

"Let me go!" She gasped, trying to breathe between her laughter.

"Not until you say sorry!" he replied cheekily.

"Never!" She exclaimed as though she was a damsel in distress.

"Then you shall remain here forever more!" He replied in a posh, pompous voice as though he was a villain of old.

She couldn't reply she was laughing so hard.

She closed her eyes as she let her laughter consume her, this was the first time in months that she'd been able to laugh freely without it hurting any of her stomach muscles or straining her back.

He laughed along with her, his deep pitch mingling with her high one in an almost perfect melody. A fact Edmund did not miss.

Esha felt Edmund's legs tighten against her waist as he tensed.

She opened her eyes, her laughter dying in her throat as he went quiet.

She looked up at him, wondering if she'd done something wrong when his torso lowered slightly towards her, she could see his prominent muscled standing out against the fabric of his clothes.

He looked straight ahead into the forest, his body taking a defensive position over hers.

"What is it?" She whispered.

He didn't reply and she took the hint, staying quiet.

After a few moments his body relaxed and he stood, using one arm to pull her up after him.

"One of Miraz's scouts. We should get back."

She nodded in agreement and looked nervously towards the forest.

Even though she'd seen The White Witch, it was not of her that Esha dreamed that night. Instead she had another nightmare, not the usual one that was in fact a memory of Miraz, but a new one that scared her just as much.


	7. Dreams & Nightmares

_**Ok everyone I'm backkkk!!!!! I'm writing in bold because the beginning of this chapter is in italics...but I don't really need to explain that to you all :P. **_

_**So, thank you everyone for your really nice 'get well' messages and everything. Just to update you all, my foot is healing and it's nearly out of the woods, although I won't be walking till about October. But, I did just hear that the cast should be coming of next week and then it's just bandages!!!! Which has made me happy and that's why I'm doing another chapter of this story now! And, the scars on my face are going really, really quickly, they can almost be covered up by make-up now and the doctors say I'm practically healing double time, which is always encouraging lol. And I'm getting a side fringe cut in a couple of weeks to help hide them and then I can go shopping again!!!!! So anyway, enjoy!**_

_Esha looked around her, she was back home!_

_Her bed lay to her left, neatly made and looking as comfortable as always. Her wardrobe and writing desk were behind her, her dressing table to her right and the window in front of her. She ran over and looked through the window and saw some stable boys running across the courtyard, her mother in a beautiful deep red dress sitting down reading at the base of her usual tree._

_She smiled at the familiar baby blue colour of her room. It was a calming colour and she had many a time controlled her temper simply by staring at the wall and trying to empty her mind of thought. _

"_Esha. What a surprise." She whipped around at Miraz's voice, his words thick with his accent that was so much stronger then hers. She had been born in Archenland while her father acted as a foreign embassy for Miraz and had only moved to Narnia a few years ago._

"_Miraz!" She gasped, automatically taking a step back._

_He was clad in full armour, save for his helmet and Esha wished he wore it, if only so that she wouldn't have to see his face. His armour was so polished she could almost see her own horror-struck face reflected in it and she concentrated on this, trying to stop herself shaking. He smirked at her expression and walked over, closing the distance between them in a few long strides._

"_Did you miss me?"_

"_What?? No!!" She exclaimed in horror. Her brain wasn't functioning properly. Shock stopped her from giving a witty reply or doing the sensible thing and trying to run._

_He stood behind her now without seeming to have moved._

"_Ah, what a shame. Because I missed you. Very much."_

_She jumped as his voice came from behind her, much too close for comfort. She realised he was moving too fast for him to actually be there. "You're not real!" She blustered in disbelief. "This is a dream, or...or a nightmare! I'm imagining you. I'm safe with Edmund! I'm safe!"_

_She turned to her door, but he was standing inches from her, between her and the door._

"_Ah yes, the young King. King Edmund the Just. He cannot protect you forever." Miraz purred, sarcasm dripping from the word 'King'._

"_You can't hurt me now! You're not real!" Esha said in desperation._

"_I'm as real as you like. And I can do whatever I like..." He trailed a finger along her neck, travelling downwards suggestively. His touch made her shiver for all the wrong reasons and her hairs stood on end at his words. He grinned evilly at her response, enjoying her discomfort._

"_Don't touch me! I don't like it! I don't want you to be real! So you can't be! This is my nightmare and I can control it!" She was rambling slightly in her panic. Her mind knew he wasn't real, but her body was reacting naturally, betraying how scared she was._

_She turned towards the window, planning to yell for help but he was standing between her and the window, leering at her, his beady eyes scrutinising her slim form in a way so similar to her it made her feel sick._

"_You're not real! You're not real!" She chanted in a child-like manner as she tried to convince herself, turning around again._

"_I'm not done with you yet." He hissed, appearing behind her again and grabbing a handful of her long hair, yanking on it and forcing her head back as she winced. Her hands fought with his, sliding harmlessly of his cold armour as she tried to get him of her._

_He released her and she stumbled back, casting around herself frantically for anything that could help her. _

_She could hear her own shallow, laboured breath and felt detached from herself. The once calming blue walls now seemed cold and she felt truly alone, as though no-one in the world from now or 1300 years ago could help her as she looked around the room for something that would help her escape from Miraz and this room that suddenly seemed so threatening._

_Her eyes focused on the door for what seemed to be the hundredth time that dream._

_Once again he was standing between her and safety. He gripped her jaw in his hand, turning her face so he could whisper in her ear. She could feel his breath on her throat and thought she detected a tiny pulse in each of his fingertips, but she couldn't be sure if it belonged to him or if it was her own pounding heartbeat._

"_You will be mine." _

_She screamed loudly, covering her ears with her hands to shield herself from his words as she sank to the floor._

She bolted up in her bed with a gasp.

"Esha?" Asked Edmund in concern from his bed across the room.

"Just a dream. Just a dream." She mumbled to herself. The sheets were twisted around her legs and sweat dripped of her, mingling with the tears streaking down her face.

"You were screaming and-"

"Just a dream." She repeated to herself, not seeming to hear him, her head in her hands as she tried desperately to hold herself together.

Edmund swung out of bed and bounded over to her. He narrowed his eyes and squinted at her in the darkness as he saw her stained face in the light given by a nearby candle. He walked out wordlessly, returning within a few minutes with a small towel and a cloth. He used the towel to dry parts of her body such as her arms and legs and the cloth to wipe her face and erase her tears.

Neither spoke, Edmund because he didn't know what to say and Esha because she was in far too much of a daze to think about what Edmund was doing to her.

He placed the now damp material on the floor.

"Miraz was there." Esha whispered. She felt the need to tell someone, the need to, perhaps selfishly, share the burden with someone, if only to make herself feel better.

Edmund straightened up at her voice, leaning back on her bed.

"He was in my room at home. He said you can't protect me. He said you can't protect me." She repeated, the tears forming and streaking down her face again.

"Oh Esha." Edmund said, his heart breaking for this young girl who was all messed up inside thanks to Miraz. "I can protect you." He told her firmly. He smiled at her reassuringly, finally wiping her tears away with his thumb.

He got up to leave when her hand clasped his with surprising strength.

"No, no, no, no. Please don't leave me." She said in desperation, her eyes pleading with him.

He looked at her damp bed, then back at her eyes, then back at her bed.

"Ok, you can come sleep in my bed if it'll make you feel better..."

She scrambled out of her bed and followed him to his before he'd finished his sentence.

The two lay down with their backs facing each other awkwardly.

Neither spoke or made a sound and Edmund lay awake a few hours, conscious of her every move so when she wriggled and gave out a slight whimper he sat up, leaning on one elbow to look at her in the candlelight.

Her eye-brows were scrunched together and her eyes screwed shut.

"Esha..." He whispered with a defeated sigh. He shook her shoulder slightly, but her only response was to kick him in the shin as she lashed out.

"Owwww..." He cursed quietly, trying to inspect his leg in the dim, flickering candlelight.

She turned to face him now, pushing him to the far edge of his bed and burying her face in his chest, her small hands balled into fists between them.

Edmund sighed again before hesitantly wrapping his arms around her, knowing that physical contact could make her feel safer and stop her nightmares, but wondering if he was doing the moral thing.

She was almost half his size and their small night clothes exposed their shoulders and showed the stark contrast between them. Hers was tanned, smooth and slim, looking very feminine and delicate in the thin white material whereas his was twice the size, much paler and his muscles showed. It looked as though he could easily crush her and thinking so, he loosed his hold on her slightly, but when she wriggled closer to him he grinned and tightened his grip again.

He smiled down at her, her face half hidden in his chest.

He kissed the top of her head lightly, not even thinking about his actions before closing his eyes. It didn't matter to him how wrong this was, nor that her nightdress was damp from a mixture of sweat and fallen tears, it felt to right for him to have any doubts about letting her sleep with him.

"_This could be awkward in the morning."_ Was the last thing he thought before falling asleep.


	8. Squirrels & Households

_Hey everyone! So, let me update you all again on my recovery. I CAN WALKKKKK (very slowly and with crutches), but still, it's a really big thing because it's only been 7 weeks and they didn't think I'd be able to walk until October so I have literally healed double time! And I'm getting a side-fringe cut on Tuesday to help hide the quickly-fading scars on my face so it's allllll good :D _

_Anyway, this chapter isn't one of my best (in my opinion) but please drop me a review, saying that you like/love/hate it and shizzle. Love you all! _

"My Lady?" Puffed Pattertwig as he ran into Esha and Edmunds room closely followed by Caspian in the early hours of the morning. The original plan after the first night had been for her to sleep with Susan and Lucy, but there was no space for her in their room and as High King, Peter got a room to himself, while Caspian was sharing with his old professor, therefore Edmund now had to share a room with Esha. He preferred it this way as it meant he could wake her up every time she had another nightmare. He'd done this last night as well, ending up letting her sleep with him in his bed again.

The squirrel ran to Esha's bed, stopping in confusion when he saw it was empty.

"Over here Pattertwig." Edmund said gently, unwrapping his arms from around Esha and consequently waking her up.

"Oh. I did not realise we were disturbing you." Said Caspian edgily.

"Not at all Caspian, Esha just had another nightmare." Edmund told the older Prince. Caspian looked at the two, a funny expression on his face. His upbringing had been strict and he would never dream of sleeping in the same bed as a woman who was not his wife.

"My Lady, I went to your home, however I could not find your mother! Or any humans at that!" The Squirrel told them, his fatigue stowing his talkative nature.

"What??" Esha sat up, fully awake now. "No-one was there?"

"No my Lady! Not even any dumb beasts!"

"But I- I don't understand." She said, looking at a baffled Edmund who shrugged his shoulders.

"Perhaps they went looking for you in other towns and are still searching..." Edmund offered, his hair flopping in one eye as it so frequently did, hiding his sceptical expression from Esha.

"But, why are all the animals gone as well?"

"There will be a good reason I'm sure." Inputted Caspian.

She nodded in agreement with him but still looked doubtful.

"Are you sure no-one was there? No stable-boys or Cook or anyone?"

"No, My Lady. No-one living was there."

Esha lapsed into silence as she considered his words, frowning as she tried to think where her entire house-hold had gone.

"You say no-one living..."

"No-one was dead either." Esha nodded to herself as he reassured her.

"Thank you Pattertwig. Go get something to eat." Ordered Edmund, dismissing the exhausted large squirrel.

Esha was fiddling nervously with the bed sheet, twirling it around in her fingers and biting her lower lip until Caspian put his hand over hers to stop her fidgeting.

"It will be ok." He told her.

"No it won't Caspian...you know what it's like to be alive in these times...what about the seven Lord's Miraz banished? What if he banished my parents?" She asked fearfully.

"He wouldn't dare. He'd need grounds to banish them and my guess is that he is too busy preparing for this war to have time to spend creating excuses to banish Lords. Ok?" He asked her, checking that she understood his reassurances.

She nodded glumly. He hugged her gently before turning and following Pattertwig from the room.

"Something's wrong, Ed. I know it." She told him as soon as she was sure Caspian was out of earshot. She thought that maybe he would understand, as a third and uninvolved party his thoughts were more likely to be correct.

Edmund resisted the urge to smile as she said a line he had read in many books. He instead concentrated on what the words meant. "You don't know that...like Caspian said, you're father is a Lord! Lord's don't just disappear!"

"They do when Miraz is King!"

"No they don't. He was able to cover up kidnapping you by pretending to have a search for you. People would become suspicious if a whole household disappeared and he knows that!"

She pondered his words a moment. "You're right." She agreed, looking slightly happier now.

He smiled at her gently before hesitantly kissing her forehead goodnight for a few more hours. He pulled away quickly, not sure if he had just made a grave error and ruined a newly found friendship. His lips burned, as though he had eaten spicy food and chewed it with his lips. He licked them. They felt dry. He tried to swallow quietly, attempting to push down his feelings. He pulled the sheets over him, and lay with his back turned to her. He could feel her eyes boring holes into the back of his skull and his muscles all tensed in response.

After a few moments he heard a soft thump as she lay down to.

He slowly turned around and as before, hesitantly wrapped his arms around her to stop her having her nightmares. She had her back to him this time, and the curve in her spine slotted into the curve his chest gave perfectly. He smiled at the irony and cliché.

The next morning, neither mentioned the kiss, and although Esha had lain awake all night wondering about it, she had come to the conclusion that it was meant as a sign of comfort, but she now felt fairly sure that the person Edmund appeared to everyone else to be besotted with was herself. And contrary to how she thought she would feel after her experience with the other gender, she found the idea very appealing.


	9. Swords & Tickling

_Ok everyone so here's another chapter of my baby :D. To update you all on how I'm doing, I CAN WALKKKKK!!!!! It's amazing! I've been able to walk properly without crutches (though very slowly and painfully) for about a week and I received my GCSE results which were good so I can go to the new school I want to go to!!!!!!!!!!!I'M SO HAPPYYYYY! Oh, and the plastic surgeons told me that I look amazing and that I'm the most motivated person they've met in months. So, please review my story because it'll make me even happier then I am now! Love you all!!!!_

"I think you should learn how to fight with a sword." Edmund declared, making Esha turn to face him with a raised eye-brow. She was tired from lack of sleep last night, and judging by the light purple bags forming under his eyes, he was to.

"And what makes you think I don't know?"

"You're a girl. Girl's never know how to use swords." He said as though it was the most obvious answer in the world.

"Oh but of course. You're right your majesty. Thank you for your excellent insight into the female world." She said sarcastically.

"Alright, alright. No need to get sarky." He grumbled.

She rolled her eyes before focusing on him with a slight smirk. "You're right Ed. I should learn how to fight with a sword. Let's go now."

"Now?" He asked in alarm.

"The sooner the better." She replied cheerfully, bouncing on her toes slightly and clapping her hands together with a cheesy smile.

"Well...alright..."

She gave him a winning smile and he couldn't help giving her a loop-sided grin back, following her from the room and into the How's entrance where sword practise was held for those who wanted it.

Peter was there practising with Glenstorm while Trumpkin and Caspian sparred and the four greeted Edmund and Esha, pausing in their battles. Caspian and Trumpkin appeared composed and to have only started their practise recently whereas Peter and Glenstorm both dripped with sweat.

"Who are you going to practise with Ed?" Peter asked, looking around at all of the other fighting pairs.

"Esha."

Peter looked between the two. Esha had a smile on her face while Edmund was looking at her worriedly.

"Esha...what are you so happy about?" Edmund finally asked.

"I'm just...pleased that I'm finally going to learn to defend myself." She said, making her rather pathetic lie up on the spot.

"Oh ok." Edmund said, happy with her reason. "So shall I teach you a few moves first?"

"No. I think we should just get straight on with it."

"What?? So...you don't want me to teach you a few moves?" He asked her uncertainly, confused.

"No. Let's just start!"

Caspian laughed out loud as he realised something. Overprotective Telmarine Lord's always taught their daughters at least the minimum of sword fighting and archery so they would be able to defend themselves should the need should ever arise.

Everyone turned to look at him quizzically and Esha widened her eyes and tilted her head at him in a slightly comical way to keep him quiet.

He waved his hands for them to continue, still smirking.

Edmund drew his sword and took up a stance in front of her. Esha took the sword Glenstorm offered her with another smile of thanks. The sword was long and heavy and as Glenstorm let go of the handle the tip of the sword dropped to the floor as though Esha found it incredibly heavy. She held it awkwardly in her hand and stood with her weight on one side, meaning it would be easy for Edmund to push her and make her overbalance.

Edmund looked at her worriedly, regretting his choice.

"Ed..." Peter began as he and Glenstorm watched. "Maybe this isn't such a good id-"

He didn't finish as Esha's borrowed sword whistled through the air and Edmund had to duck to avoid losing his head. He took a few steps away from her as she tried to attack again, bringing her sword back round.

"Didn't see that coming." He told her in a stunned voice.

She laughed and easily jumped over the swipe he made at her feet, holding the heavy sword in both hands now.

Edmund attacked, not giving it his all, but not holding back either.

Esha however was giving it everything she had, which admittedly, wasn't a lot.

Once Edmund had recovered from the initial shock of her sudden attack Esha was constantly on the retreat, looking around her for anything that could aid her in the fight.

Seeing two lightweight swords she backed towards them, hoping her arms could last long enough for her to get there.

Edmunds face was dark with concentration as he knocked the sword from her hands, causing her to turn and run for the two other swords.

"Hey!" She heard Edmund exclaim behind her.

She picked up the two swords in each hand and whirled around to face him, holding them crossed in front of her.

Edmund grinned when he saw her new weapons and cast around himself, finally picking up a shield.

"Ah ha." He said in a mocking voice, eyes wide and a weird smile on his face that made Esha laugh breathlessly as the two battled again.

Edmund was clearly winning now and had Esha backed up against the wall, her two swords held in a cross to defend herself as he tried to overpower her. Her arms shook from the weight of his body he'd thrown behind his own sword. She barred her teeth and growled playfully at him, causing him to bar his teeth back. She hooked a foot between his legs and wrapped her leg around his knee, causing his leg to buckle and him to fall to the ground, unfortunately pulling her down with him.

He flipped them over and scrambled up as she gave out a yell of surprise, rolling over and standing up, straddling her hips in a sign of victory.

"Ha!" He said triumphantly. "I win!" However his joy was short lived as she moaned, her eyes closing.

"Owwwww....oh owwww..."

"Esha? What is it??" He asked frantically.

She moved her leg against his foot and he lost balance, nearly falling on her until she rolled to the side, laughing. "Ha! I win!" She mocked him, standing in the same position he had been moments before, their positions now reversed.

"Oi!" Ed exclaimed. "That's cheating!"

"Prove it!" She told him childishly, sticking her tongue out at him.

"I don't need to." He told her simply.

Confusion flickered across her face until he pulled her down flush against him before rolling over and trapping her, tickling her skilfully and putting all of his practise on Lucy to good use.

She squealed and wriggled. "Admit you cheated!" He told her.

She squealed again as those sparring around them stopped to laugh at the two's antics.

"I give up!" She at last cried dramatically, trying to calm her breathing.

"Damn." Peter said. "I was enjoying Ed fighting a girl and loosing!"

"I wasn't loosing!" He said indignantly, pushing his hair out of his eyes.

"Oh you were." Esha taunted, though they all knew he had been winning.

"I wasn't! That's it...rematch!" He yelled. Wiggling his fingers inches from her face threateningly.

"No! I was winning fair and square! I don't need to fight you again to prove it!" She joked, trying to flap his hands away.

He grinned and stood up, pulling her up after him.

"At least he didn't tease you...when I fought him he hit me on-"

"Trumpkin, none of us need to hear about how you lost to a teenager." Peter joked as Trumpkin glowered at him and the surrounding Narnian's laughed.

"I'm so glad we proved just how good girls are at fighting." Esha said as she dusted her skirt of, giving Edmund an angelic smile as she contradicted his earlier words that had started it all.

He growled and ran at her.

She gave a gasp and whirled around, running out of the room with him hot on her heels, the sound of laughter following them both into the dim corridors.

Esha ran down an intersection and Edmund skidded slightly at the sudden change in direction, causing him to lose ground that he'd gained.

Esha hid behind a column and held her breath, hoping he wouldn't see her as he came around the corner.

He walked straight past her, looking for her in the opposite direction and she gave a wicked grin before jumping onto his back, wrapping her legs around his torso firmly and covering his eyes with her hand. "Guess who?" She yelled, laughing as he yelped in surprise.

"Esha. If you don't get of me, I will fall back and crush you between me and the ground." He mock growled at her.

She laughed at his empty threat but jumped down anyway.


	10. Problems & Armies

_Ok so I know it isn't a very long chapter, but I've just started my A-Levels ( I don't know what that is in America, but you do it when you're 16-18 years old) and I'm at a new school so I'm mega busy! As usual, please review it'll make me really happyyyyy. Love you all!_

"How's it going with Esha?" Peter asked his brother as the two watched Susan and Caspian helping Esha with her bow and arrow technique.

"How do you mean?" Edmund responded, trying to act ignorant.

"Come on Ed! You know exactly what I mean!" Peter raised his eye-brow at his younger brother.

"Yeah I guess I do... Let me put it this way - and if you repeat this to anyone I will kill you – If I'm not careful, I will suffer more pain than I did last time."

"Ah." Peter replied.

"Mmm...it's a problem isn't it?"

"Well...yeah. You grieved so much when we left and you lost Ayesha, if you love Esha even more, what's it going to be like for you when we have to leave her?"

"I didn't say I already love her! I just need to be careful around her to make sure I don't! And I don't know Pete. I really don't want to think about it right now. Actually, I don't ever want to think about it...and I'm not planning on leaving her!" Edmund protested.

"Ed!" Peter exclaimed. "Sooner or later we're going to have to leave Narnia again!"

Edmund didn't reply, or show any signs that he had even heard Peter and in the end, Peter looked away having decided not to push him further due to his younger brother's current confused state. Instead, he turned to look back at Esha's training.

Susan stood slightly apart from the two, looking slightly sour. Peter soon knew why when he saw Caspian standing behind Esha, aligning his body with hers he guided her elbow to the right place while his right hand was over hers as they both held the bow steady.

She released the string in her left hand and when the arrow thudded into the bulls-eye, Esha turned to look at Caspian. Both wore big smiles as they did bad dancing to celebrate her success. The sound of their laughter drifted over and Edmund turned suddenly, walking quickly back into The How.

"Pete? You better come quickly." Edmund told his brother as he rushed into the room, seeing him and Lucy talking, looking at the engraving of Aslan on the wall.

Peter and Lucy glanced at each other before jumping up to follow Edmund.

Esha came across the three siblings in the corridor. "Ed?" She called out as she saw them hurry away.

He turned at her call, still walking in the opposite direction. He beckoned her and she ran to catch up with them, Edmund giving her a tight smile.

"Where are we going?" She asked innocently, her eyes questioning.

"To the entrance." He muttered dolefully.

She read his mood and kept quiet, hurrying between him and Peter, none of them looking at each other.

The four emerged into the sunlight, Caspian turning to look at them as he heard their arrival. He looked at Peter and Edmund seriously before giving Esha and Lucy a tight-lipped smile, much as Edmund had done.

They fanned out, all looking into the distance, the same mixture of emotions on all of their faces. Awe. Fear. Disbelief. And dread.

"Oh my-" Esha breathed, leaving her sentence hanging and saying the words that were on everyone's minds.

"I didn't know Miraz had such an army at his disposal." Caspian muttered.

"They can't all be his. He must've got his Lord's to give him their guards." Esha told them, her insight in the royal court becoming helpful.

"Oh of course." Caspian chastised himself, feeling foolish for not thinking of it himself.

"I'm glad fathers Guards seem to have gone with him." She muttered, biting her lip nervously. "Some of them were nice people and I don't particularly want to see them killed because of Miraz's lust for power. I can't really see the uniforms very clearly from here, but none of them look like it."

The whole Narnian army stood on the ground below them, looking out over the approaching army.

There were thousands of them, all wearing traditional Telmarine metal masks that covered their faces completely. They marched in time, making the ground tremble slightly with each step. Six catapults were being wheeled in their midst, large boulders to be thrown at the ready.

The army had six legions, each had a catapult and each was at least forty men wide and ten deep. And that was without counting the cavalry.

"I think we need to have another meeting." Said Peter slowly, breaking the silence.

Edmund sub-consciously stepped closer to Esha as they all surveyed the army silently.


	11. Quarrels & Revelations

_YAYYYY!!!!!!!!! So I've written another chapter!!! This is my favourite fan-fiction( that I've written) so I really hope you're all enjoying it!_

_Just to update you all, my foots finally started responding to the physio treatment so there's a chance that I won't need the third operation! And I'm building up my muscle again really quickly so I'm going to go back to dance in two weeks. I went to a class today (just to see my friends and teacher) and came out practically in tears because they were all so lovely and we were all sniffing as we hugged and everything, so be very grateful to my ballet class, because it's inspired me to write a long, soppy chapter!_

_As usual, please review and make me happy. As a reward, I'll write another chapter!_

"That's your next big plan? Sending a little girl into the darkest parts of the forest, alone??" Trumpkin banged the table angrily with his hand, his small size meaning he didn't achieve the desired effect.

"It's our only chance!" Peter insisted.

"And she won't be alone." Susan added.

"Haven't enough of us died already?" Asked Trumpkin sadly, walking over to where Lucy stood with Edmund and Esha sat squashed behind her.

"Nikabrik was my friend too. He lost hope, but Queen Lucy hasn't, and neither have I." Said Trufflehunter wisely, his quiet voice earning everyone's attention.

"For Aslan." Declared Reepicheep, drawing his tiny sword and laying it across his heart solemnly.

"For Aslan." Seconded the biggest bulgy bear.

"Then I'm going with you." Trumpkin told Lucy.

"No. We need you here." Although Lucy was the same age as Esha, she seemed much wiser and dignified, her Queen-Of-Old emerged and for a moment she seemed as wise as Trufflehunter.

"We have to hold them off until Lucy, Susan and Esha get back." Peter said to everyone in the room. Esha could tell how stressed he was as he ran his hands through his hair.

"If I may." Said Caspian politely. "Miraz may be a tyrant and a murderer. But as King, he is subject to the traditions and expectations of his people. There is one in particular that may buy us some time."

Esha looked at him in confusion, realization dawning on her face a moment later.

"Caspian, no." She said suddenly, causing everyone to turn and look at her. "No!" She insisted. "Why make someone fight when Miraz is bound to cheat anyway?"

"Be quiet." Caspian said dismissively.

She gaped at his rudeness, preparing a retort.

"Don't talk to her like that!" Said Edmund angrily before she could defend herself.

"She is a child..."

"And so are you." Peter inputted. "I agree with Ed. There is an army outside waiting to obliterate us all, let's not turn friends into foes."

Caspian hissed at Peter, only Trumpkin coming to stand between them stopped a fight.

"Let's hear this idea then." Edmund said, trying to break the tension.

Esha shook her head at Caspian, but he simply glared at her in response, noticing how Edmund clasped her hand in his in reassurance when he saw him glare at her.

Edmund raised his eye-brow at Caspian, daring him to try anything with Esha when she had him as protection.

"If Miraz were to be challenged to single combat, he would have to accept because of his new status as King. He would want to show his new subjects that he is the rightful king."

"Ok, that doesn't sound too bad. Who would he fight?" Asked Peter, nodding his head at the other Narnians as they all agreed that it was quite a good idea.

"You."

*****************

"My King, are you sure you're ready?" Asked Glenstorm.

"Of course, they're not going to kill me when I'm going for a parley!" Edmund retorted as he buckled on his sword, nodding to the Centaur as he trotted off to wait for him at the entrance.

"Ed?"

"Esha! I was looking for you earlier!" He said in way of greeting her.

She gave a faint smile before taking a deep breath.

"I want to come with you."

"Where?" He asked, slightly confused.

"To Miraz's tent."

He hesitated, wondering how he could say no without hurting her feelings.

"Esha...in light of what you told us before...I don't think that's the best idea...."

"I know, but I need to start getting over what happened to me, and I'll never be able to do that if I'm too scared to even look at his face!"

"Esha...are you sure you're ready for this?"

She considered his words a moment. "Yes." She said shakily.

"Well it doesn't matter if you do, because I don't think you're ready!"

She gaped at him.

"Peter?" She called out to him, causing him to raise his head from his hands and look at her.

"What?" He asked slightly snappily, running a hand through his hair before resting his head again, his mind clearly elsewhere.

"Can I go with Edmund to Miraz's tent?"

"Mmm yeah sure..." Esha could tell he wasn't really listening but she grinned craftily because he had just given her permission, and as he was High King, no-one could go against what he said.

Edmund glowered at her, "Over my dead body." He said between clenched teeth.

"I'll put flowers on your grave." She replied with a small smirk.

He took a menacing stride towards her until they were centimetres apart.

"And what if he takes a fancy to you all over again? We won't be able to defend you against thousands of soldiers when there are only four of us!"

"Well they're not going to! You forget that we're going for a parley, not to fight them by ourselves!"

Edmund growled at her, much like one of the wild cats. "Fine, why should I care if you live or die? It's all the same to me!" He ranted at her, regretting his words instantly as shock ran across her face and he realised what he'd said.

He opened his mouth to apologise, but she beat him to it.

"Fine, if that's how you feel. As you said, why should you care? In fact, why should I care if you do or don't care?? It's not like you care if I care that you do or don't care!!" She stalked off, leaving Edmund behind her trying to work out the tongue twister she'd just said and in a dither of whether to run after her and apologise or show his sorrow later.

He decided now.

"Esha wait, I'm sorry. I was just angry that you want to put yourself in such danger! I do really care! I really, really care!"

"Yeah well I don't! I'm not letting myself fall for someone with charm who _tells_ me that he cares but doesn't really! Not again! Not after the last time! No way I-" She stopped as she realised what she'd just told him, trying to stalk of again, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Esha please, I care, why else would I be here?" Edmund tactfully ignored the first part of her rant, trying to push down his questions for her and come up with a reply. He realised as soon as the words were out of his mouth what a bad retaliation he'd come up with and concentrated on mentally slapping himself rather than thinking about what she'd said, knowing that once he started he wouldn't be able to stop.

"Good question." She said icily, crossing her arms over her chest irritably, but letting Edmund know she was feeling emotionally vulnerable in her attempt to shield and protect herself in the same way she had when she'd told everyone about why she was at Miraz's castle. The thought that she would need to protect herself from him cooled his temper, letting him think more clearly. "Now try and answer it." She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Look." He pinched the bridge in his nose as he tried to say his words the right way. "You're beautiful and...wonderful and...everything! And Miraz knows this...I'm afraid that if he sees you again, he'll want you and try to take you again!"

Esha took slow steps towards him, her eyes narrowed and hands on her hips, ignoring the first part of his sentence that made her heart flutter.

He thought she was beautiful.

"I can look after myself-"

And wonderful.

"Because that worked so well last time!" Their voices were rising as both tried to control their anger and not yell out their feelings for each other.

His words stopped repeating themselves in her head as she retorted.

"It was working just fine until-"

"Until what? Hmm? Until what Esha?" Edmund demanded, yelling now, his eyes blazing.

She fell silent, looking at him through her own narrowed eyes.

He continued to yell at her as he voiced his questions and fears. "As much as I would like to, I can't protect you from everything! I can't help you when you refuse to be helped! I can't save you when you're dreaming and scared of your own pillow!!"

Her breath caught in her throat at his low blow.

"I hate Miraz." She hissed. "And I-"

"You're not the only one who hates him!"

"Oh what, so now we're going to argue about who hates him more??" She asked incredulously.

Now it was Edmunds turn to fall silent.

Although Esha looked like his wife Ayesha, he was quickly learning that she was an entirely different person, much more free-willed and bold, but much more frightened inside.

"Arghhh!" He cried out. "What is it with you? I'm always perfectly composed, ready with a good retort and in control of myself! What is it about you that makes me feel more like an uncontrollable teenage boy rather than a King of Old??" He questioned her, wanting answers but not expecting them.

"You are a teenage boy!"

"I want you on Glenstorm so he can get you away if need be." He growled, his teeth still clamped shut.

He whipped around and stalked away to find Glenstorm and tell him of the latest development.

"Glenstorm." He called out as he saw the Centaur talking to a Faun a few feet away.

The Faun scurried away to carry on his business as he saw the King approaching.

"My King?" Glenstorm asked.

"Esha is now coming with us." He growled.

"When?" Asked Glenstorm with confusion.

"To Miraz's bloody tent!" He roared, seething so much he could no longer hold it in.

Glenstorm looked slightly alarmed at his tone and upon seeing Glenstorms face, Edmund gave a sigh and covered his face with his hands, running them through his wild hair in frustration.

"She shouldn't come. I can't believe she would willingly put herself in danger like this." He said quietly.

"The female mind differs to the males in many ways." Glenstorm said wisely.

"I don't understand it." Edmund said, whispering now in misery. "Why can't I control my emotions around her?"

"My King, the answer is inside your heart." Glenstorm told him, smiling slightly at Edmund's denial to what his heart felt for the young Telmarine girl.

Edmund clenched his teeth together as Glenstorm's words sunk in and he was hit by the realisation that he had fallen head over heels in love with this girl even more then he had with Ayesha. And in the end, he'd had to leave Ayesha, ending up broken hearted. He didn't want to experience that pain again. But he realised now that it was too late. If he left and tried to convince himself he felt nothing for Esha, he would feel pain. His best chance to avoid that pain was to stay near her and try to keep her safe, which suited him just fine as it gave him an excuse to be with her as much as she would allow.


	12. Parleys & Danger

_Ahhhhhhhhhh I know I'm a bad person for not updating for about a month, but I've been sooooo busy! I've just started at a new 6__th__ form (I don't know what that is in America...) and it's keeping me very occupied, plus I have loads of social engagements and still lots of hospital appointments. This chapter is long (by my standards) to help make up for my slacking..._

_My doctor was really impressed with me and said that he's never ever seen scars heal and quickly and well as the ones on my face have :D. And all my friends still say I'm beautiful, even the new ones :) so all in all, I'm a very happy bunny. _

_Anddddd, it's my half-term now so hopefully I'll have at least one more chance to write another chapter... I love you all! (well, I will if you review this chapter...) xxx_

"I, Peter, by the gift of Aslan, by election and by conquest, High King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel, and Emperor of the Lone Islands, in order to prevent the abominable..."

Esha lost concentration on what Edmund was saying as she linked eyes with Miraz.

He gave a cruel smile and she had to swallow the bile her throat produced at the sight of his face to stop herself from being sick with fear. Her grip on Glenstorms waist tightened as she tried to stop herself from physically shaking. Glenstorm didn't flinch and she wasn't sure if he was either very strong and tolerant to pain, or paying too much attention to the Telmarine's gawking at him.

She lifted her chin slightly in defiance, after all, she was safe now, but Miraz's smile simply widened as he took in this small act of confidence.

"...The fight shall be to the death, the reward shall be total surrender." Edmund finished.

"You're alive." He said to her with sarcastic joy, and she clenched her teeth together, forcing herself not to look away.

In return, Miraz still didn't look away from Esha, a fact Edmund had not missed as he rolled up the scroll. "How are your parents?"

A feeling of dread swamped her body as she thought through his words and gasped.

"What have you done with them??"

"I have not done anything." He smirked.

Her eyes were wide as she thought over what he could've done, as King, he could've had them killed and nobody would suspect, let alone punish him. After all, he was the law, and he had kidnapped her for three months and no-one had guessed. But she pulled herself together, she had no proof he'd touched her parents and it was no use worrying when they could be alive and well.

"Tell me Prince Edmund-" Miraz started, his gaze still on Esha. she could practically see him licking his lips as he took in her features. Her breathing became funny, disjointed and uneven.

"King."

That got Miraz's attention.

"Pardon me?"

"It's King Edmund actually, just King though, Peters the High King. I know, it's confusing." He said to their puzzled faces, Esha smiled at his words as her regular breathing returned, she knew he was mocking them and trying to divert their attention from her, giving her a chance to recover and gather her composure. His dry sense of humour slightly relieved the tense situation.

"Why would we risk such a proposal when our armies could wipe you out by nightfall?"

"Haven't you already underestimated our numbers? I mean, only a week ago, Narnians were extinct."

Edmund was doing well in annoying Miraz, as was his aim.

"And so you will be again."

"Well then you should have little to fear."

Miraz laughed loudly and falsely. "This is not a question of bravery."

"So you're bravely refusing to fight a swordsman half your age." Edmund taunted, a smile tugging up a corner of his mouth.

"I didn't say I refused." Miraz said after a slight pause, a deathly glare on his face.

"You shall have our support your Majesty, whatever your decision." Came a voice on Esha's right and she turned to see a Lord she wasn't familiar with.

"Sire, our military advantage alone provides the perfect excuse for you to avoid-"

"I am not avoiding anything!" Miraz growled, jumping up and grabbing his sword.

"I was merely pointing out that my Lord is well within his rights to refuse..." Esha smiled slightly at Lord Sopespians grovelling.

"His Majesty would never refuse. He relishes the chance to show the people the courage of their new King." Inputted Lord Glozelle from Esha's left.

He still had the same dark, brooding look on his face that he'd had before and she shivered slightly, remembering how he had carried her through the castle corridors to her new room on the night she had been kidnapped. He'd had to carry her as she was tied up and nearly asleep. Although he hadn't physically hurt her and had handled her quite gently, he had still been part of it and this thought alone was enough for her to dislike him.

She turned her attention sharply back to Miraz as Glozelle's head swivelled to return her gaze.

"You...you should hope your brothers sword is sharper then his pen." Miraz finally decided, pointing his sword at Edmund. He sat down heavily. "And I want her." He added.

Esha's breath caught in her throat as she realised his sword was now pointing at her.

Edmund turned to look at where his sword was pointing although he already knew.

He caught Esha's frightened gaze.

"No, she is not part of the parley." He said firmly, still looking at Esha and smiling at her reassuringly.

"No girl, no parley." Miraz said simply.

"You have no choice; you have already agreed to the single combat on our grounds, it's too late to change the parley now."

Miraz stood again, sword pointing at Edmund, causing Edmund to draw his own sword in retaliation.

"Glenstorm get her out of here." Edmund told the centaur calmly, his eyes fixed on Miraz, as the older man watched the centaur and his prey gallop away.

"My Lord, remember this is a parley!" Warned Glozelle.

"You cannot protect her forever." Miraz said maliciously as he lowered his sword slightly.

This seemed to hit a nerve. "Watch me." Edmund told him through clenched teeth before whirling around and stalking out with Giant Wimbleweather.

Outside, Esha was still sitting on Glenstorms back, waiting for Edmund and Wimbleweather in the field separating the Narnian army from the Telmarine one.

She jumped off as she saw the two emerge from between the tents and ran towards Edmund as he ran to her.

They stopped a few inches apart and he looked her up and down quickly to ensure she wasn't harmed before pulling her to him in a strong embrace to reassure himself she was fine, their earlier argument forgotten.

"I can't believe I let you come." He whispered into her hair.

"I can't believe I came! But I'm glad I did. At least now I know that he is still after me." She told him shakily into his chest, glad of how safe she felt in his embrace after the fear she'd felt over the last few minutes.

Edmund growled slightly as he was as frequently as he smiled now. "He will never get you." He promised her, hugging her tightly, eyes and jaw line set in determination.


	13. Distractions & Help

_I know I'm a bad person for not updating, but you'll be happy to know that this chapter is nice and long (by my standards anyway). It's not a particularly good one for Ed and Esha, but it's alright...this is one of those chapters that sets the scene more than anything...anyway I hope you all like it, and please please please review because it makes me so happy. I love you all...xxx_

Edmunds words rang in her ears yet again.

"_Be careful."_

She was always careful! Even now as she was thinking about him, she was scouring their surroundings and listening carefully for the sound of hoof beats behind them.

They galloped through the woods, Esha hanging on tightly so she wouldn't fall off as they swerved around trees. She looked up as she heard a horse whinny and turned to look at Susan as she saw eight members of the Telmarine Army galloping along the ridge above them.

"They've seen us!" She yelled ahead to Susan. She strung an arrow and loosed it at a Telmarine, gripping her horse, Cassandra, firmly with her thighs to stop herself falling off. The Telmarine jolted of his horse, clutching his upper arm. "Go on, I'll hold them up!" she yelled to Lucy and Susan as their horse slowed down. She pulled Cassandra to a stop.

"Oh...I don't like this at all!" Said the horse in fright as Esha slid down her flank, landing daintily on the floor for once. She walked forwards a few metres, leaving Cassandra at the back of the small clearing she was in as she held an arrow ready, pointing it at a gap in the trees as her father had taught her, but no horses came through. She lowered her bow in confusion until she heard hoof beats and felt the ground tremble slightly.

She held the bow and arrow up again, trying to stop her hand from shaking; she pulled the bow taut and stood, fixed.

"Keep your elbow up, don't let it droop." She muttered to herself, remembering what Susan had taught her. "Never fight with emotions, you'll just make mistakes." She repeated what Edmund had said to her when he'd tried to help her more with her sword fighting. "Clear your mind of all but your target." Glenstorm's words rang through her mind now, joining with the chorus already there.

Three men came through. She felled the first one quickly by shooting him in the neck and managed to injure the second, but by then the third was upon her and she had to duck as he swung his sword at her. She realised how much danger she was in and felt dread as she heard a cry from behind her. Turning, she expected to see more soldiers but was met by Prince Caspian galloping past her and killing the last soldier in one well-aimed swipe.

"Susan??" He asked her urgently, his eyes searching the woods around them as though expecting her to appear from behind a tree.

"That way. About five more men are after them." She pointed behind her.

"Go back." He told her and he cantered past.

She obeyed him, hitching up her skirts she mounted Cassandra again and rode back. She hadn't managed to get far in the first place and it was only a few minutes journey.

She broke through the tree line and she spurred her horse on and over to Edmund and the fight. "We were seen but they got through, Caspian came and he's gone to help them." She told him as she dismounted, her throat dry from nerves that she hadn't even noticed.

Glenstorm handed her the flask of water that had been brought out for Peter and she took one small sip, leaving the rest for the High King.

"Thanks." She said, feeling much better and wincing as Peter yelled out in pain as his shoulder was dislocated. "I'm guessing now is not a good time to ask how he's doing?"

"He was doing well until just then. Get up there, I doubt the Telmarine's will keep their word and I don't want you hurt. Get some more arrows from Trumpkin." Edmund ordered her, authority leaking into his voice as he took charge.

She nodded and turned to run to The How, noticing Susan and Caspian galloping up in the process when he caught her arm.

"Esha I-" he dithered a second. "Take care. I really don't want you hurt."

He always seemed to be telling her to take care recently and she searched his eyes for a moment as though hoping to find what he really wanted to say there.

She nodded again and hugged him quickly and slightly awkwardly through all of his armour.

He hugged her back, wishing he had the courage to say more.

Their embrace distracted Miraz as he watched Esha jealously and this gave Peter the opportunity to trip Miraz up, pausing as the older man crashed to the ground, hurting his already injured right leg even more.

"Thanks." Peter gasped at Esha before she could run off as he and Miraz separated for respite. "I think you distracted him a minute."

She looked at him in confusion.

"Wait..." Glenstorm said slowly. "Perhaps we could use her to-"

"No absolutely not!" Edmund said, astounded.

"What-" Esha started, feeling really confused by now.

"If she were to just-"

"NO!!" Edmund roared, gaining the Telmarine's attention now.

Esha's eyes flickered between Glenstorm and Edmund.

"Glenstorm's thinking about this the right way Ed. You need to think more about winning this war then your own feelings..."

Edmund's eyes turned black as his own brother turned on him. "I said no." He growled through clenched teeth.

He turned to Esha, his gaze softening as she shrank away from his formidable glare.

"Esha, go up there with Trumpkin. Now." He told her gently, his eyes returning to their chocolate brown colour and his gentle voice a stark contrast to how he had been seconds before.

She looked around at them all again, her gaze lingering on Edmund last before she turned and ran back to The How.

"You two should be ashamed of yourselves." Edmund told Glenstorm and Peter sharply. "She's sixteen years old!! Peter, you can win this without putting her life in danger as well."

Glenstorm and Peter looked at the ground, slightly embarrassed as Edmund, the youngest of them all, berated them for their selfish thoughts.

"It's for the greater good, Ed." Peter said quietly, "if it'll help us win the war, why not?"

Edmund glanced at the Telmarine's, noticing how Miraz was watching Esha run gracefully back. Miraz swivelled his eyes slightly to look at Edmund and he gave a sneer as he noticed the young King was watching him. "Mine." Miraz mouthed at him. Edmund raised an eye-brow in response, confident the tyrant couldn't make him crack before turning to watch Esha again as though Miraz was of no interest to him.

"If you use her, I will never speak to you in this world or ours ever again." He said calmly, keeping his face neutral and pleasant.

Peter shook his head in a mixture of sadness and defeat. "I don't have it in me to endanger a girl anyway." He sighed, running his fingers through his hair.


	14. Falling & Saving

_Ooooook, so I know I haven't been very religious in updating this, and as my favourite story it should be top of my list, but I'm afraid, schoolwork, sleep and social events come first...but be happy that I have a chapter for you now! Like the last one, this is based more on events in the actual book/film, but I've obviously had to adapt it a lot for Esha and her wonderful influence in the Pevensie's world...this chapter is, admittedly. Very typical, cringey and cheesy, but hey...we all need a bit of cheese in our lives...as always, please review and make me feel good about my imagination...love you all! xxx_

Nearing The How, Esha was almost deafened as the Narnians around her gave a cheer and raised their fists. She looked back to see Edmund watching her, Peter by his side with his sword out to the Narnians and Susan running towards her. At first she thought Peter had won, but she quickly noticed with disappointment that Miraz was still alive.

She waited for Susan to catch up and the two girls silently ran through The How to the top together, going out into the sunlight just as Peter and Miraz started to fight again.

They searched for Trumpkin among the few Dwarfs and Fauns acting as archers and sidled their way towards him. They both gasped audibly and internally every time Peter took a blow and cheered every time he got Miraz. When Miraz sunk to his knees, weapon less and clutching his side, Esha yelled in victory, but Peter didn't kill him.

"Kill him Peter!!" She yelled out, unaware and uncaring of how she sounded to those who didn't know her story. "Do it!" She screamed.

Peter turned and offered his sword to Caspian, but as his attention was distracted Miraz leapt to his feet and retreated to the safety of his General and Lords.

Similarly, Peter ran back to the army commanders and they all ran backwards towards The How, swords drawn and ready.

"What?? What's going on?" Esha and Susan asked in unison, turning to Trumpkin.

"I dunno." He told them distractedly. "Hang on a minute....treachery!!!" He yelled out with the rest of the Narnians. "What about the parley? It said total surrender!"

***

Edmund looked at the Narnian army as he and Peter ran back, his gaze finally resting on Susan and Esha high up on The How. For a moment he saw in his mind an image of the rocks crumbling. Her and Susan tumbling down. Susan safe but Esha hanging onto her foot before dropping to the ground. He shook his head to clear such thoughts and they were gone as quickly as they had come. He turned back to the Telmarine's, drawing his sword and running alongside the Narnians with only half his heart. The other half stayed where he had been standing seconds ago, dithering between Esha and the war.

He battled for a few minutes fairly near the base of The How, nearly losing when battling four different Telmarine's at once and only surviving when arrows quickly killed two of the men and injured a third, letting him win the battle. He looked up and saw Esha smiling grimly at him. He smiled back, his smile turning to a look of horror as he saw the rocks underneath her shaking and vibrating, distorting her in his view.

"_Déjà vu. Déjà vu. Déjà vu." _His mind chanted before he sprinted back to The How, past Peter and Caspian looking up at the two girls worriedly, rocks tumbling down around him.

"Ed!!" He heard Peter call. "No!! It's too dangerous!!"

He looked up and saw Esha fall, Susan fell only a short way, catching hold of Trumpkin's hand and swinging from side to side as Esha grabbed hold of her foot.

"Hold on!" He heard Susan yell down to her, he was only a few yards away now, but Esha fell straightaway with a slight scream, landing with an "oof" in his arms as he skidded to a stop just in time. For a moment all was still, he couldn't feel the pain of her fall in his arms and he couldn't feel his already aching muscles.

She opened one eye, and then both as she saw Edmund's face hovering inches above hers.

"Am I in heaven?" She asked him sweetly.

"No." He laughed. "No you're not."

"But you're here!" She puzzled, a frown on her face.

"Precisely, and I'm not dead, so nor are you!"

"But...I'd want you in my heaven, and you're here, so I must be in heaven!" She concluded in a very dizzy, happy way.

As she said this, a Faun fell from the top of The How with an arrow through his heart.

She turned her head at the sound of him crashing to the floor before looking back at Edmund.

"I'm not in heaven am I?" She asked, crestfallen.

He shook his head and set her down, feeling the bruising from her fall in her arms now. He grabbed hold of a Telmarine horse as it galloped past and jumped up while she picked up a disregarded crossbow. He offered her his hand, pulling her up onto the horse behind him.

The two rode around, helping out Narnians loosing individual battles. Edmund would steer the horse over and aid their comrades in their battle from atop the horse, while Esha would shoot at anyone who was in range.

"We're losing!" She called over his shoulder as he cut down another Telmarine.

Edmund steered the horse back to The How and towards Peter, Caspian and Susan.

He dismounted the horse, handed Esha a new crossbow and ran forwards with the three other royals, Esha galloping behind them with the other Narnians.

She shot down a large Telmarine, twice her size, standing in Edmunds path, leaving him free to enter the battle. Her crossbow was soon running out of arrows so she improvised, hitting each Telmarine on the back of the head with its base and knocking them out, saving her last few arrows for an emergency until she could find a new crossbow.

She'd lost sight of Edmund and cast around for him, shooting one of her remaining arrows at an approaching Telmarine who couldn't have been much older than Edmund. Trying to ignore the stabs of guilt she felt at taking so many lives she turned her horse to and fro as she looked for him.

She saw Caspian fall down nearby and manoeuvred her horse to help him. Someone else fell down into the gap and she watched Lord Glozelle, bleeding near one eye charge at him with a polearm.

"No!" She cried out with all her voice, and Glozelle stopped abruptly as he heard her, one of the three female human voices within the entire battle. He looked up at her and for an instant she saw sorrow and regret on his face. Her horse continued to gallop towards them and she saw Glozelle open his mouth in horror, but she missed his words as something pushed her of the horse. She fell clumsily and tried to turn it into a roll so she wouldn't be hurt. She succeeded but before she could recover she was slung over someone's broad shoulder.

She looked behind her and saw a thickset Telmarine, walking away with her over the battle field.

The feeling was familiar to her and she screamed, beating at their back as she realised what was happening to her.

"NO! NOT AGAIN! LET ME GO! THIS WON'T HAPPEN TO ME AGAIN!" She screamed as she was kidnapped for the second time.


	15. Defeated & Taken

_Ok, I know I'm a really really bad girl for not updating sooner…and I know that it's been the school Christmas holidays which makes it worse cause I had more free time…but I've been really busy and my laptop crashed a few weeks ago! My mum normally hogs the main computer so it's pretty hard to get on a computer long enough actually write just one chapter! Anyway, I apologise to you all and would like to thank you for sticking with me for such a long time! Here's the next chapter, it's not exceptionally long and there isn't any direct Esha-Edmund, but hey, I need this chapter to continue the story! As always, please review it makes me happy and blah blah blah…Enjoy!!_

Edmund walked around, squinting into the sunlight happily as he marvelled at the moving trees with his brother and sister, laughing slightly as the Telmarine's all ran away like young children.

He looked around for Esha so he could laugh with her and see her smile, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Panic filled him as a picture of her lying dead somewhere flashed in his mind.

He could hear shouting all around him from the screaming Telmarine's, but one scream stood out. It was higher. Feminine. He saw something in the distance, Esha being manhandled by a large Telmarine soldier into a small wagon. He felt the now cold wind seep through his armour and sweat covered body to his bones. The colourful world of Narnia suddenly grew grey around him, he felt for a moment as though he were back in the London tube station, nothing but an ordinary, helpless boy again.

The Telmarine climbed in after her before appearing again, this time sprawled on his back. Esha jumped out and over him, practically flying as she flung herself out of the getaway vehicle. Edmund started to run towards her. Feeling and seeing nothing but her. Suddenly, she disappeared and he increased his pace as she was brought into his view again. She was now being manhandled into a sack by a thin, weedy looking soldier who could be no older then Edmund. He realised that she was unconscious when he saw her body flopping around uncontrollably. Her head lolled forwards in a way he recognized from the night they'd first met and her shoulders were relaxed and drooping.

"ESHA!" He cried out, running full pelt towards that part of the Telmarine army, slashing down anyone who stood in his way. He knew she couldn't hear him, but he willed his voice to get through to her in her unconscious state, even if she just heard it in her dreams.

"ED!" Someone cried out behind him and suddenly there were footsteps chasing him. And hoof beats. One of Glestorms sons came into his view, offering him a hand as he effortlessly cantered beside him. He grasped it and was hoisted up onto the still-moving Centaurs back.

He spared a moment to glance behind him. It seemed that the whole of the two armies were following him across the bridge, but no-one was fast enough. He passed Lucy without even noticing, his concentration only on the wagon as it seemed to grow bigger.

The Telmarine style streets of Narnia were grim and grey, almost exactly as the housing on an industrial estate would be back in lower-class London. He kept his eyes forward, not allowing the depressing atmosphere to deter him in his chase. They were only a few metres behind it, crossing the drawbridge just as the gate slammed shut behind the wagon. Glenstorms son slid to a halt and Edmund let out a war cry of frustration as he realised they were at the gates of the castle. And he had no way to get in.

Esha was scared, she was currently in a sack, slung over someone's shoulder as they walked quickly through what she was guessing was one of the castle corridors from the way their booted footsteps echoed.

She focused on the sound of their footsteps, using the slow, rhythmic sound to help calm her heartbeat and stop her from hyperventilating. She knew what was coming. She knew, and she was terrified.

She was put down on the floor and she struggled with what she hoped was the top of the sack, but it seemed to have been tied closed and try as she might, it couldn't be undone from inside.

She sat there a few minutes, her hope gone when the sack suddenly opened and let in light. Although it wasn't bright, she was so used to darkness it blinded her for a moment. As her eyes became accustomed to it she saw Miraz's grubby face leering down at her. She screamed, struggling to get out of the sack and escape to as far away from him as possible.

She got free of the sack, but as soon as she did Miraz tackled her to the floor, winding her for a moment.

He was still wearing some of his armour and was much too heavy for her to push of so she did the only thing she could and screamed for her life as loudly as she possibly could while trapped. Her breathing was irregular as he crushed her, her arms immobile while pinned underneath his weight until she was silenced by him kissing her.

She thought she was going to be sick as his slimy tongue forced its way past her lips and into her mouth and his beard tickled her. She shook her head from side to side, trying to dislodge him and finally succeeded, gasping in air and wishing she could wash her mouth out. In his eagerness to undress her, he grasped some of her dress in his hands and pulled, ripping it until it fell of her, leaving her in her white undergarments.

She screamed again and sobbed as the beautiful dress Lucy had lent her was destroyed. She looked up into Miraz's face, his eyes were mad with lust for her and she tried to struggle as she realised that this was it. There would be no going back once he was done with her.

He was so heavy that she could do little more than wriggle her shoulders weakly, but rather than having the desired effect of somehow helping her to escape, it sent him into a frenzy and he gripped the hem of her white undergarment and pulled, ripping it to the mid-thigh.

She screamed as he bent forwards to try and kiss her again, slobbering all over her neck and exposed collar bone as she thrashed her head from side to side to avoid him. Suddenly finding she could breathe again she gulped in air and curled up into a ball, sobbing, in a feeble attempt to protect herself.


	16. Rescue & Serenity

_Ok so the next chapter! I'm sooooo sorry I haven't written for 4 months!!!! But here it is and it's a lovely long one! Please don't hate me for saying this but I think this will have to keep you all going for a while as I don't have time to write out all the chapters...but on the plus side I've worked out how this is going to end! Please review and everything and I apologise again for taking so long!_

Edmund felt like he was dying inside. His need to save the girl he'd rescued so many times in the last few weeks was overwhelming. He stood there, waiting anxiously for the Griffin he'd sent the Centaur to fetch to appear. In normal circumstances he would've felt bad for not even learning the name of the centaur who'd run so fast to help him, and had now run back to help him yet again, just as fast, but now the thought didn't even cross his mind. He was thinking of rescue strategies. He could see scenarios in his head, him fighting lots of guards while Esha was locked up in a room behind them, him hiding behind a door while Miraz walked out. He shook his head, knowing that this kind of thing couldn't be planned. He had no idea where Esha was, who was with her or how he was going to get to her. He'd just have to make it up along the way.

He finally saw a spot on the horizon and his breathing hitched as he squinted, trying to see the shape more clearly. Within seconds it was bigger, clearer. Seconds later it was bigger again and Edmund started waving his arms to attract the Griffins attention. Only a moment later it landed on the bridge and he ran out to it, jumping onto its back without hesitation. He realised that he was on Acanthia, the Griffin that had first saved him and Esha from the tower. She rose into the air and he clung to her feathers as they rose steeply to get over the wall.

The wagon was beside the wall, the only thing cluttering up the surprisingly tidy courtyard and Acanthia flew straight towards it, landing softly by it and immediately hiding behind it in case anyone looked out of the windows. Edmund quickly checked the wagon just to be sure Esha had been moved and spoke quietly to the Griffin, "stay here, I'll call for you." Acanthia bowed her head in response and settled down on the ground, still as a statue.

Edmund ran along the wall, trying to stay inconspicuous for as long as possible. Adrenaline ran through his veins as his eyes darted to and fro, his years as King evident in the way he moved.

Reaching a wooden door he placed his ear against it, listening for any noise. Hearing nothing he tried the handle and slipped inside quietly. He turned, looking for another door when he noticed someone, a boy, staring at him from a table. They were in the kitchen but the place was deserted, flour was scattered over several tables with dough placed haphazardly. The boy stood, grabbing a chopping knife from in front of him and pointing it across the room at Edmund. He drew his sword and in turn, pointed it at the boy. The two moved towards each other, Edmund much quicker than the boy, despite his younger years. With one swipe the feeble knife was out of his hands and the boy was backed up against the table he'd been sitting at.

"Where is she?" Edmund asked, his voice as quiet as his entrance.

"Upstairs. The North tower, in the room they held her in before." The boy told him immediately.

Edmund looked at the boy strangely. What a coward. He judged him harshly, knowing that he would never have given away Esha's location if he were in the boys place, but then he realised who the boy was.

"Thank you, Jimmy." Edmund replied, noticing the surprised look on the boys face. He lowered his sword as he began to move on, weaving through the tables.

"Wait!" Jimmy called in a stage whisper, "most of the guards that have been left behind are all lazy and bad fighters, but there are two who came back with the wagon that are talented. I don't know where they'll be, but there should be guards at the bottom of the stairs, the top and the bottom of the tower. They won't expect anyone to be in the castle with the gate shut, so hide as much as you can because calls for help are answered quickly in this castle. Go left out of here."

Edmund nodded his thanks and continued on, his sword up and ready again as he turned left.

He was facing a bare corridor. Only one torch lit the entire stretch and the end of it was in total darkness. Edmund moved swiftly, keeping his knees bent he strained his ears to hear anything as he moved along the wall. His heart in his mouth he reached the end of the corridor and stopped, slowly peeking his head around the corner. One guard stood there, half asleep while the other one slept on, slumped against the wall behind him. Edmund skirted around them, continuing on his way unnoticed. He took the stairs two at a time until he neared the top, slowing down as he heard voices. This time the two guards were awake with their backs to him, moaning and muttering darkly about something.

"-not like we'll get any action here!" Edmund heard one of them. The other made a noise of agreement in his throat and shifted his feet impatiently.

Edmund had no choice. He had to kill these two. He climbed the last of the stairs in a few bounds and flung his sword through the back of one of the guards. The man made no sound and it was a moment before his companion noticed what was happening, by then Edmund had drawn the dead guards sword and was pulling his own out of the body. Before the clearly unskilled guard could draw his own sword, Edmund had skewered him with the guards sword. He made a slight choking noise and Edmund felt revolted. He had never killed anyone without a fair fight.

Not waiting to see the body fall to the ground he yanked the sword back and ran on into the dark corridor.

His next obstacle came in the shape of two more guards, situated outside of the room he was sure Esha was in. Creeping along he could see the flames of a nearby torch reflecting off their open eyes and his heart sank. He wouldn't get past these two, not without a fight.

Drawing breath he slid along the wall silently, getting closer and closer to the guards. One of them eventually sensed his movement and flicked his eyes to Edmund, giving a shout instantly to alert the other. They both drew their swords and Edmund flew into an attack on the nearest guard with a yell. The second started to call for help before having to fend of Edmunds other sword. Edmund ducked to avoid a sword and ran the second guard through, twisting his body around to reach him before too much noise could be made. The man fell heavily, his armour clanging against the stone floor and the sword staying stuck in his chest. The first guard was more of an obstacle, the most talented fighter he'd encountered all night. Taking a leaf out of Esha's book, he looked around for anything to help him, not caring if he had to fight dirty. He reached up on his toes, straining until he managed to grasp the nearby torch and turned, shoving it in the guards face without a moment's hesitation. The guard screamed in agony, a chilling, haunting scream that lingered and lasted in Edmunds ears. He ran him through with his remaining sword and couldn't look at his face as he fell.

Wrenching his sword out he opened the door and ran into the room, the torch banishing the darkness that surrounded him body and soul.

Edmund barged into the room but Miraz didn't seem to notice. He was far too busy with Esha. With a roar Edmund pulled Miraz of her, adrenaline giving him strength and energy when he was so tired.

Miraz was sprawled a few feet away and his face was shocked as he saw Edmund, standing between him and Esha.

"You." He snarled. "What do you think you're doing here?" He stood up clumsily and moved in a circle, watching Edmund.

"I'm here for Esha." Edmund growled, looking rather like a panther with his dark hair tousled as he prowled around the room, his steps matching Miraz's in a formal fight sequence.

"You're too late. She is mine now. She is in my castle, and no little boy like you can stop me!" He sneered, triumph in his eyes.

Edmund charged, flipping over a table in Miraz's direction. The cutlery and crockery on the table crashed around him, but Miraz picked up a dropped knife and ran at Edmund, holding it firmly. Edmund grabbed his arm, using Miraz's own momentum to push him forwards until he was off balance, then he kicked Miraz, shoving him forwards and making his head bang painfully on the floor, dropping the knife. Miraz scrambled up, cursing, to find that Edmund was yet again between him and the item he wanted so badly. With a snarl he attacked Edmund. Edmund dodged him, ending up on the other side of him again, using his speed and youth to his advantage. He over turned another table, this one made of glass. It shattered on the floor, sending glass everywhere. Edmund could only pray that Esha was too far away for any to hit her. He knew it wasn't a good idea to make so much noise, a guard could come in and then the trouble would really start, but he was hoping to confuse Miraz into making a foolish attack, which would give him and his level head a clear advantage. Miraz was looking to and fro, blind in one eye from a flying shard of glass. Edmund saw his chance and ran at Miraz, using all his strength he slammed his shoulder into his stomach so that the older man stumbled backwards, a sickening thump sounding throughout the room as Miraz hit his head against the wall.

He crumpled to the floor and Edmund stood a moment, waiting for him to stand up and fight again. He lumbered up, staggering and clutching his head until Edmund charged for the final time, pushing him back and out of the window. The glass shattered all around Edmund in a style he was becoming too accustomed to and Miraz fell to the bottom of the tower in less than a few seconds.

Edmund ran to Esha, covering her in a nearby blanket and lifting her up, sparing no thought for the man who should've died honourably in battle with Peter.

He went to the window again and whistled, jumping onto Acanthia as she flew past and bore them up, over the wall and back to the safety of the Narnians.

Edmund could see the Narnians and Telmarine's over by the river, and Acanthia came to land on the pebbles, scrabbling on them slightly as they landed.

By this time Esha seemed fine, and after Edmund had helped her off Acanthia's back, she was able to stand up unaided, still clutching the blanket around her. Edmund hurried towards Aslan, bowing beside Caspian whilst Esha hesitated. Only royals were with Aslan, and she wasn't a royal, so what was she to do?

"Rise kings and queens of Narnia." Came the deep voice that could belong to no other. Edmund, Susan and Peter stood up, but Caspian stayed kneeling, his head bowed respectfully.

"All of you." Esha couldn't stop looking; staring at Aslan's ripping mane and golden eyes, visible even from where she stood.

"I do not think I am ready."

"It's for that very reason I know you are."

What should she do??? She knew she wouldn't go over there, Aslan was not the kind of creature you approached unless invited to.

"And where is Esha?" the golden voice asked, looking at Edmund. He instantly looked over at her and smiled.

Esha walked forwards slowly, unsure whether or not to be happy that he knew about her. She curtseyed gracefully for someone wearing a blanket, and looked up into his eyes.

"Come closer." He rumbled, regarding her calmly as she took one step forwards. He stretched his neck forward and touched his nose to her forehead. Serenity instantly washed over her and she smiled up at him. "My child. You have endured much in a short space of time. But you have brought much happiness to many people, especially one, and it is time to forget the past now and embrace your future." He finished his speech and they both looked at Edmund, standing awkwardly by Peter. Esha smiled once more at Aslan and joined Edmund, her skin glowing.


	17. Singing & Dancing

_Ok so I know I'm a reeeeaaally bad person for not updating this story sooner...it's been another 4 months which means I have done 2 chapters in 8 months...my baaad! But in my defence I had exams! So it's not entirely my fault it's the exam boards and my friends for keeping me so busy...anyway I have just about the longest chapter I've ever done I think for you faithful followers (I love you all!). Please review, it makes me happy and I think it'll motivate me to write more as it's SUMMER! _

The victory party was held in the castle later that night. Everyone was now clean and dressed up and the entire castle was full of Narnians and supporting Telmarine's. Five long tables filled one side the Great Hall, the other side was left clear for dancing and there was a small stage at the front on which several groups of musicians and singers took it in turns to perform. Brightly coloured banners and greenery decorated the once boring hall and torches lit the room brightly every few feet.

Of course, at the centre table sat the five royals, Esha, Trumpkin, Glenstorm, Trufflehunter, Reepicheep, The Bulgy Bear, Doctor Cornelius, Pattertwig, five big cats, seven wolves, fourteen fauns, five dwarfs, six centaurs, two mice, two minotaur's and Giant Wimbleweather at the very end.

Caspian has not yet had his coronation, and so he wore his original crown that he had been given by his father to signify him as Prince. The four Kings and Queens of Old wore their original crowns as a group of small birds had been sent out to retrieve them that afternoon when the feast was first organised. Esha, as she was not royalty had no crown, she did however have a wreath of baby blue flowers on her head that had been made especially for her by a newly awakened Dryad. As Esha threw back her head in laughter, the wreath shifted and became lopsided.

Typically, all that could be heard was laughter, music and gleeful shouting as everyone tried to make themselves heard over all of the noise.

Esha sat in a place of honour between Edmund and Peter. Caspian sat at the head of the table with Susan and Peter flanking him, then next to Susan and opposite Esha sat Lucy who was laughing uncontrollably at something Trumpkin had just told her.

Edmund whispered in Esha's ear and she laughed delightedly, turning to look at the unfortunate Telmarine who was the topic of their whispering. She turned back to him and whispered back and his face split into a grin. They both looked sideways at each other as Susan gave them both reproving looks whilst Caspian was inspecting something on his plate.

"Lucy." Esha called across the table. Lucy excused herself from her conversation with Trumpkin for a moment. "Have you noticed how-"

"Alright, alright. We don't need to hear what you and Edmund have noticed." Susan cut in rather icily. At first, Esha was unsure of how to react, but Edmund's face as he desperately tried not to laugh set her of anyway.

"Come and dance." He managed to cough out, dragging her away from the table as quickly as possible so that they could both explode with laughter.

"Your face!" Esha yelled across the music. "That would never have happened if it wasn't for you!" She accused him as they did the wild, relaxed dancing that accompanies celebrations instead of the formal dancing saved for balls.

"Don't tell me you didn't think it was funny?" He called back.

"What? What you told me or your face?" She replied, answering his question with a question.

"What?" He yelled.

"I said - oh - never mind." She replied, laughing along with everyone else as Ed spun her round and round. For a moment her wreath righted itself, and then Edmund spun her the other way and it became lopsided again.

"What?" He yelled again. He obviously couldn't hear her. She shook her head and smiled as the song ended, the two returning to the table, giddy from the wine and dancing.

"You two looked like you were having fun!" Peter shouted in her ear, grinning slyly at Edmund as Esha gathered her skirts to sit down.

"Maybe you should try it sometime Pete!" He called back. Peter wasn't sure if his brother had blushed because he was already slightly flushed.

"Esha. Maybe you should sing for us." Caspian said suddenly, leaning towards her.

"What?" She turned to him, startled. "No, no I don't think so." She protested immediately.

"Oh but you must! I am sure you can sing!"

"Well...erm..."

"But of course you can. Surely you had lessons!"

"I did but I-"

"Go on Esha!" Edmund inputted.

"Oh no, not you too!" She groaned, beseeching him with her eyes.

She looked around her, trying to find an excuse or someone else to engage in conversation until the topic of her singing passed, and as she caught eyes with similarly aged girl she leapt up with a shriek and ran towards her, practically leaping into the others arms as they embraced, laughing and exclaiming loudly.

"Sophia! I've missed you so much! Is Suzie here? What about Stefan? Sophia it's been too long!" Esha gushed, finally releasing her friend.

Sophia smiled and lead Esha over to the table on the far left, chattering away as they weaved in and out, "-my brother and Stefan were on the search team for you, and so was Lucio." She added with a sly smile at Esha who laughed at the familiar banter.

"I'm afraid I'm over Lucio now. He toyed with my emotions too much!"

By this time they were at the table, and there was more shrieking as Esha hugged her friends, Suzie, Marcus, Lucio, Maria, Benito, Stefan and Bella.

Marcus offered her his chair and she sat and chatted with them all eagerly, turning her head from side to side to keep up with everyone. She caught Edmunds eye and gestured to him to come over, she wanted him to meet her friends.

He was at her side in moments and she stood and grasped his arm, smiling at him as she introduced him as King Edmund the Just. Her friends were clearly awe-struck at the returned king of old that they'd only learnt had existed a few days ago. Edmund smiled warmly at them all in his most charming way and put his arm around Esha. Sophia caught Esha's eye, instantly alerted to their relationship.

"We must talk soon Esha." She said, her smile never faltering as she rose.

"I was under the impression Esha was going to sing for us all." Edmund butted in, still smiling himself.

Esha wasn't so unhappy to sing this time as she was quite certain that Sophia would do anything for a bit of gossip, even if that included singing in front of everyone celebrating. And Suzie loved to show off.

"Only if Sophia and Suzie will join me!" She laughed.

The two jumped to her side and they all slinked to the front, helped onto the stage by a flute-playing Faun.

"Do you know if she can sing?" Susan asked Caspian, slightly worried of the younger girl embarrassing herself now that she was actually on the stage.

"Telmarine Lord's always make sure their daughters can do everything. Sing, dance, sew, fight. Everything." Caspian replied as though it were obvious.

Esha spoke to the current band for a moment, eventually turning and facing the audience nervously when they all nodded and returned to their positions.

Edmund whooped and everyone immediately started cheering them. She smiled at her two friends and took a deep breath as the band started up, playing a much slower song then previously.

The audience became silent as the three girls began to sing an old song sung by many minstrels at weddings.

_I don't tell anyone about the way you hold my hand.  
I don't tell anyone about the things that we have planned.  
I won't tell anybody,  
Won't tell anybody,  
They want to push me down.  
They want to see you fall down._

Won't tell anybody how you turn my world around.  
I won't tell anyone how your voice is my favorite sound.  
I Won't tell anybody,  
Won't tell anybody,  
They want to see us fall.  
They want to see us fall down.

I don't need a parachute,  
Baby, if I've got you.  
Baby, if I've got you,  
I don't need a parachute.  
You're going to catch me,  
You're going to catch if I fall,  
Down, down, down.

I don't need a parachute,  
Baby, if I've got you.  
Baby, if I've got you,  
I don't need a parachute.  
You're going to catch me,  
You're going to catch if I fall,  
Down, down, down.

Don't believe the things you tell yourself so late night.  
You are your own worst enemy,  
You'll never win the fight.  
Just hold on to me,  
I'll hold on to you,  
It's you and me up against the world,  
It's you and me.

I don't need a parachute,  
Baby, if I've got you.  
Baby, if I've got you,  
I don't need a parachute.  
You're going catch me,  
You're going catch if I fall,  
Down, down, down.

I don't need a parachute,  
Baby, if I've got you.  
Baby, if I've got you,  
I don't need a parachute.  
You're going to catch me,  
You're going to catch if I fall,  
Down, down, down.

The three finished their final note to loud applause and whooping, accompanied by several animal noises from those with hooves and paws instead of hands. The three curtseyed in unison and were helped off the stage. Esha left her two friends and returned to the royal table, occupying her seat next to Edmund again.

"Go again!" She heard him yell above the noise in her ear.

She shook her head frantically at him and he threw his head back and laughed, finally slinging his arm casually around the back of her chair as the clapping stopped and people resumed their activities.

"Esha that was amazing!" Lucy gushed at her across the table. She smiled at her, slightly embarrassed and overwhelmed by all the sudden attention. "Did you write it yourself?" She yelled.

"No!" Esha was slightly alarmed at Lucy delusion to her talents, "It's a Telmarine wedding song. Very common."

"Why did you never tell us you can sing?" Peter yelled across the table at her.

"It's not my thing." She called back.

"Who cares? MAKE it your thing." He replied with a laugh.

She laughed with him and took a long drink of wine, sighing with relief and slumping back in her chair, glad that it was all over. She leant back and felt Edmunds arm slung behind her and his relaxed posture turned towards her. His placed his hand lightly on her shoulder and they smiled at each other. The wine and happy atmosphere was making them both feel much looser; the old fashioned rules of courting didn't seem to apply in this atmosphere.

Peter had swivelled round in his seat to look at the table behind him. Esha realised that he was looking more at a certain young woman.

"Her name is Lola" She yelled at him. He turned sharply, looking like he was going to protest. He eventually decided against it and with a mischievous grin at her, left the table.

"He's not very good with ladies." A voice said in her ear.

At that moment, she saw Peter near Lola and offer her his hand with a small bow. The girl smiled shyly and slipped her hand into his, allowing him to help her out of her seat as a more formal dance began.

"Oh really?" Esha asked Ed, turning to look at him she was surprised at how close his face was to hers, unsure of what to do she immediately asked him a question. "Now why didn't you ask me to dance like that, instead of dragging me?"

He looked at her a moment before getting up from the table and walking away, leaving Esha very confused and slightly worried that she'd said something wrong.

He walked once around the entire table, finally finishing where he'd started, next to Esha. "My Lady, would you care to dance?" He asked her politely, his hand extended towards her with a small bow, exactly the same as Peter had done. Instead of doing the lady-like thing, Esha laughed and let him pull her up.

"You fool!" She told him as they started dancing. "You had me worried there!" Her hands were on his shoulders and his on her waist. Then they broke apart and he twirled her underneath her arm, then they joined again. This time they held one of the others hands, while her other was on his shoulder again and his was back on her waist.

"Your friends are staring at us." He yelled at her.

She craned her neck and gave them all a hard stare quickly.

The music stopped for a moment as everyone broke apart to applaud. The next band took to the stage, this time it was a group of four Telmarine's. They started playing a typical old Narnian tango that a Telmarine minstrel had palmed of as his own a few decades before.

"Do you know how to tango?" Ed yelled at Esha with a small grin.

"Don't insult me!" She responded, making him laugh. Many of the elder couples left the dance floor at the introduction to the tango and they were instead replaced by many young couples; other than the four Pevensie's, every other person was either a Telmarine, dwarf or Faun as the dance required skill on only two feet. Every female turned and walked ten steps away from their partners before turning with their hands on their hips suggestively. Esha's elbows were currently bumping into those of the girls on either side of her, but the cramped space added to the fun.

Both partners walked forwards slowly before circling each other. Slapping their hands together, Edmund span Esha underneath his arm and let her lean on him. Her spun her round and round again and Esha grew dizzy as the wine made her lightheaded. They walked backwards and forwards before adapting the typical tango position with their bodies pressed together.

They'd only been dancing twenty seconds and Esha was already boiling hot and slightly dizzy. Narnian tango is not the same as the English tango. It was more about love and passion and includes less of the sharp head movements and more of staring into each other's eyes. They drew up, their arms above their head and faces as close as they could get. Edmund waggled his eye-brows saucily at her and she did a trick she'd learnt from a friend of smiling coyly, dreading too think what her mother would say if she could see her. Thoughts of her mother made her sad for a moment, but as Edmund turned her around and linked his arms with hers, letting her circle forwards in a circle and be supported by him, she quickly forgot all about her family. She forgot about everything but her, Edmund and the music. She turned and dropped backwards in a circle, this time his hand in her lower back supporting her, breaking the spell he had over her and reminding her of all the other couples in the room as her extended arm collided with her friends parents dancing next to them.

He spun her around and they both swayed their hips in time until he lifted her above his head, his hands either side of her waist. He let her down slowly, her body sliding down his until she reached the floor. They separated and Esha walked around a completely random Telmarine man who was watching his partner doing the same as Esha a few feet away. She walked back to Edmund and they went into the classic tango position again and walked four steps to the left before spinning, then four steps to the right, and more spinning.

She felt like she was growing hotter and hotter, but it was internal. She wasn't sweating, although it was hot in the room and the dance was demanding, but she realised with a slight jolt that it was _Edmund_ who was making her feel hot. Him and his good looks, his care for her, the way he laughed and _his love for her._ She realised it now as she stared into his eyes and shared the passionate, intimate dance with him.

They circled each other slowly again, their foreheads were touching and Edmunds hand was at her cheek, hers at his chest.

His ragged breath was hot on her face and hers caught in her throat for a moment. She hooked her right leg around his left and as he leaned, he took her down with him. With the dark hair on both their heads, the vision around them seemed to be almost darkened, and all they could see was the shadowy face of the other. Then she wrapped both legs around his torso and he spun around, gradually stopping as she let go with one leg. She circled the same leg behind herself and he lifted her yet again. This time her back was against his chest and she kicked her legs, making a circle motion before they went back to their earlier position with her arms around his neck, her leg wrapped around him and one of his hands at her waist while the other supported her leg. The music ended and everyone who wasn't dancing applauded while the dancers caught their breath.

Esha didn't move. She was breathing heavily now, her mouth was two inches from Edmunds. His breathing matched hers and he seemed as incapable of moving as her. She wasn't in control of her brain. The heat of the room and Edmunds closeness was befuddling her. She felt as though she was two different people, and the other person had run off with her brain. Their faces slowly closed the gap until it was only one inch. Her lips were slightly parted and she was almost dizzy, though from what she could not tell because at that precise moment she had no brain.

"Nice one, Ed!" Came a voice behind her.

With a jump Edmund pushed her leg of him and Esha turned and stood next to him with a gasp as her brain came back.

Peter was making his way through the crowd with his dance partner who was smiling broadly as practically every female in the room glared at her.

"We saw you two dancing. How is it you can do everything Esha? You sing well, you dance like a professional, you even made my blundering brother look good!"

"On the contrary, Peter. Edmund is very good at leading." She replied after a pause, looking at the floor, unusually polite to someone who had become a close friend in her embarrassment.

"Let's go get a drink." Edmund said, pulling at her arm towards their table and leading her away before Peter could comment on anything else he'd noticed.

"What was that?" Esha asked him in as hushed a tone as she could manage in the noise.

"Think about it." He replied over his shoulder as he fought his way through a group of Telmarine ladies. They smiled at Edmund, despite him trying to shove through the middle of them and, much as they had done for Peter's partner, glared at her.

"Why can't you just tell me?"

"Because I need to hear it from you!"

"Well I haven't heard it from you!" She retorted. She knew what he was going on about, but she didn't want to believe it. He was a king. He was a king of old who had come back to Narnia after many years.

He spun around abruptly, resulting in her nearly breaking her nose on his chest.

"Then let me say it clearly." He shouted above the noise, his gaze just as intense as it had been moments ago while they danced. "I can't live without you! You're my life! It all amounts to the same thing that I love you and I am in love with you!"

He finished, leaving Esha slightly stunned by the force and passion he spoke and now completely clear on her position. He was still staring into her eyes. People and animals crashed into them both on either side, bruising them, but neither seemed to notice.

"Esha, please say you love me back?" He asked her desperately, grabbing her hands in his.

"I do." She whispered quietly, so quietly that he had to read her lips to understand what she'd said. "But I need to think things through." She told him, taking a deep breath and stepping back and away from him, narrowly missing squashing one of the mice.

He looked at her, his face unreadable as he let her go. She fought her way through the crowd, keeping her head down until she bumped head-on into someone.

"Whooaa..." They said as they crashed into someone else as well. It was Peter, yet again. He looked at her, and seeing her strange expression abandoned his conversation with his new distraction. "Esha what's wrong?" He asked, putting his hands on Esha's shoulders and bending down slightly to her level.

She shook her head. "Ed..."

"Is he alright?" Peter asked straightway.

She nodded distractedly, just wanting to get away.

"Oh Aslan, he told you didn't he?"

She nodded again and this time looked at him properly.

"Alright, well let's get you out of here." He said. "I'll be back in a moment." He whispered over her head to the girl, then he walked towards the main entrance, his hand on Esha's wrist to keep her directly behind him as the crowd parted slightly to let him through. As High King, and the one who had fought with Miraz, people moved out of his way.

He got her into the corridor outside. It was still full with everyone going in and out and taking a breath of air, but much less noisy then the hall.

"What did you say?" Peter asked her.

She covered her face with her hands and spoke from behind them.

"Yes."

Peter seemed to understand what she meant by the one word.

"Well then what's the problem?" He asked, his brow furrowed.

She took her face out of her hands and shook her head back. "A king is in love with me! How am I supposed to react? Remember the last time a king fell in love with me?" She was pleading with Peter to understand why she was scared and unsure of what to do.

"You know Ed's not like Miraz! And I don't think Miraz really loved you...it was more of an obsession..." Peter said, stating the obvious.

"Yes, but you'll all have to go away again soon! And what'll happen to me then?" She asked him, tears forming in her eyes.

"Esha! Don't cry! Everyone always says, the greatest thing you will ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."

She looked at him strangely. She'd never heard anyone say that.

"It's a saying we have where we come from." He told her.

She looked at him a moment, still unsure of what to do. "Maybe, but I think I need to go to my room."

"What shall I say if Ed asks where you are?"

"Tell him where I am, but only if he asks. Maybe I'll be ok by then."

Peter nodded in understanding and gave her a half smile as she walked past him towards her room.

_Cheesy right? I know but I love Parachute by Cheryl Cole so much! I'm not a general fan of hers but that song is amazing...and I love dancing! Oh and of course I love Edmund __. I hope you will all join me in this love of him...although you should all remember that he is mine!_


	18. Discussions & Disappointment

_So despite the fact it was summer I STILL haven't put up a new chapter for over a month! I do honestly feel pretty bad...especially for my faithful followers whom I love dearly! But here is the new chapter, I'm not overly keen on it but I hope you all like it and as usual all please revieeeeeeeew! It will make me sooooooooo happy! _

Esha was sitting on her balcony rail, her back was against the wall and she had one foot dangling over the edge while the other kept her from slipping. She could hear the sounds of the celebration below through all the open doors and she yawned. She was tired. Tired of trying. Tired of feeling. Tired of thinking about her feelings when she should simply let her heart decide as anyone else would.

Her arms were wrapped around herself from the slight chill in the air. She was wearing the Telmarine version of make-up. It was basically a red dye on her lips that was created by crushing certain berries and adding a small amount of wax to help it solidify. Then she had black kohl round her eyes to make them look bigger. Make-up in Narnia was saved for special occasions for it didn't come off very easily. She was sure her lips were still red, but she thought that the kohl had run and smudged around her eyes slightly and her wreath was still lopsided.

She sensed something behind her and, wary after being kidnapped twice sat upright and turned with a sharp intake of breath. Instead, she saw Edmund. He was still wearing his clothes from the celebration and he walked slowly forwards, offering her a shawl he must've picked up from her bed.

She ignored it and went back to how she had been sitting before, looking out over the castle grounds instead.

"Have you thought about things?" He asked her after a pause, draping the shawl over the balcony rail in front of her. He sounded nervous, and it made Esha feel nervous too. She shut her eyes and drew in a deep breath before turning to look at him.

"Yes." She replied simply, not trusting her voice with more than one syllable yet.

He looked at her, willing her too speak.

"You said you love me." He said after a minute of uncomfortable silence, walking over to the rails and leaning back on them so he could face her properly.

"I do." She replied, still answering his questions as shortly as possible.

"Then what is there to think about?"

"Everything." She replied, drawing her knees to her chest. She needed to protect herself, from the cold and Edmund's intimate questions.

"I personally don't see the problem..." Edmund trailed off, looking at her expectantly.

"Nor does Peter." She said with a small sigh.

"Peter? What does he have to do with anything?" Edmund asked with a frown.

"He saw me."

Edmund groaned. "Great. Now I'm going to have my older brother giving me tips on romance."

Esha gave a weak giggle before putting her legs down either side of the banister and leaning forwards towards him eagerly, trying to make him understand.

"The thing is Ed...It's not enough for me to love you back. All four of you went missing one day. My mother told me the stories, and you just vanished! What if that happens again? Where does that leave me?"

"We never meant to leave you know."

"It makes no difference now." She replied, still waiting for his answer.

"Esha...I would never leave you intentionally...you know that don't you?"

"No."

"Just...think about the past few days. I've been there for you all the time! We slept in the same room, the same bed when you had nightmares! When you fell in the battle I caught you, I ran after you when Miraz kidnapped you again...I've been there every time!"

"And I'm grateful! Really, I am, but that doesn't mean you'll be there for the rest of my life."

"No-one has that guarantee."

"But most have more then you."

"But most aren't kings of old."

She smiled slightly at a rare display of arrogance from him and looked down at her hands on the railings.

"And then there's the fact of my past experience. King's seem to be bad news for me."

"Only Telmarine ones. And where I come from, I'm not a king, I'm a normal boy."

"But we're not where you come from now." She replied, her gaze steady.

"Esha, I don't know what you want me to say...I love you. Plain and simple." He was desperate to make her understand, he grabbed her hands in his, pleading with her.

"But I don't know if it's enough!" She cried out, snatching her hands from his and jumping down from the balcony. "I need more than that. I want security, I want protection! Love is fantastic, but not if it ends in tragedy! She punctuated each phrase with a stab to his chest as she gazed into his eyes. "I-"

"-And you'll get it from me!" He cried, catching her wrist in his hand and pulling her closer. "You know that! I understand that you want security, and I told you I'll always protect you! I'm a king for Aslan's sake! I'm a king, who's saved your life several times!"

"But what am I supposed to do if you go back? Just sit here all alone?"

"I won't go back. At least not without you!"

She looked down at the thin slip of floor between them as she bit her lip and frowned in uncertainty. She was so confused! In any normal situation she'd ask her mother for advice on romance while her father kept the too-keen suitors away. But her parents weren't here now. No-one was.

She looked back up, shaking her head slightly to get her hair out of her face. She sighed tiredly. She'd done nothing but think about him for the past three hours. It was exhausting! "But you can't give me that guarantee. I don't know what to do." She finally whispered. She didn't look at his face, just gazed into his chest, her eyelids were drooping slightly and Edmund released her hand, stepping away from her.

"Then come find me when you do know." He said after a heavy pause before walking off the balcony, out of her room. She wished for a moment that he would walk out of her thoughts, leave her in peace. If only for a moment.


	19. Scraps & Wives

_Yes! I'm updating after only 2 weeks! This is a major achievement for me so pleeeease be happy! And it's quite a long chapter..a good 4 pages on microsoft word! Thank you to everyone who's reviewed the last chapter, and actually I don't think I've ever thanked anyone for reviewing, so thank you everyone who's ever reviewed! And please keep reviewing, it makes me happy...enjoy! _

Edmund walked along the corridor towards the great hall. He had been looking for Esha for the past half hour, unable to stand the waiting. He'd lain awake all night, waiting for her to come and find him, even if it was to tell him what he didn't want to hear. But she hadn't come, and now it was morning and he needed to know before it drove him mad.

"She was definitely the worst!" Came Caspian's voice, followed by Esha's laughter.

"Well I once had a suitor who sweated all the time! It was awful! He'd call for me, and be dripping with the stuff even though he'd only just mopped at his face!"

"Oh no!" Said Caspian. "That is truly horrific! By the sound of it, I would've been an excellent suitor for you! I could've shown you that men can be normal!"

"Yes because runaway princes are normal." She commented drily. "What is it with Telmarine men? They're either kidnappers, heavy sweaters or they run away all the time!"

He laughed. "No, but seriously, when all of this is over I will take you sometime on a fun day out...perhaps to the stadium so you can see more sweat..." He joked.

"All right then, let's shake on it...but not the stadium part..." She laughed.

A moment of silence ensued and Edmund determinedly walked forwards into the room.

The two sat side by side on one of the tables. Caspian had his legs dangling over the side while Esha had hers crossed.

"Caspian, Peter's looking for you." Edmund said, his voice deeper in his chocked throat.

Caspian looked at him in alarm at his tone. "Ok...I will see you later Esha." He said, touching her arm briefly as he jumped down from the table.

Edmunds keen eyes missed nothing as the two smiled at each other in farewell and watched Caspian leave, trying not to strangle him as he walked past.

"Hello Edmund." She said formally in a resigned voice. She knew why he was there.

He looked at her strangely, his brow furrowed as though his tired brain was trying to think through something. "What's the deal with you and Caspian?"

"The what?" Esha asked him, confusion evident in her voice.

"The deal! With you and Caspian! I heard you flirting!"

"Me?" She questioned, affronted at his words.

"Yes, you! Do you like me, or Caspian?"

"Caspian?" Her jaw gaped open.

"Yes! Caspian. Do you like him or me?"

"Well right now I'm not particularly fond of you." She replied icily.

"Don't give me nonsense Esha! You know what I mean. Tell me the truth!" His voice was rising as his frustration at her unwillingness and slowness grew.

"What is with you? Why are you-" Her sweet brown eyes looked so confused as she frowned at him as he bombarded her with questions.

"ME? What's with me? It's your fault for looking the way you do! For-"

"What has the way I look got to do with anything?"

"Because you look like her!" Edmund practically screamed at Esha in his ire. "Because you look so much like her it tears at my heart every time I see you!"

"Who?" Esha was completely befuddled at this point. He was shouting at her, firing of questions quickly as she'd seen General Glozelle do to a young man suspected of murder last summer.

"Ayesha! My wife!"

Silence followed his words.

"Your wife?" She whispered in disbelief. She was in love with a married man.

His bout of mad and irrational jealousy died away as he realised what he'd said. He pinched the bridge of his nose, pacing in front of her. He stopped, knowing that he'd have to tell her now.

"When I was in Narnia all those years ago, I married a woman called Ayesha just before we left. You look exactly like her. When I left her behind it broke my heart and I couldn't leave you behind in that castle when-"

"So you only rescued me because of the way I look?" She asked him incredulously.

"No I didn't mean it like that! I-"

"So the only reason I'm safe now is because of the way I look?"

"No!-" Edmunds protests were futile; they fell on deaf ears.

"So if I didn't look like this you would've left me there, probably to die?"

"No, Esha, no! I-"

She climbed down from the table in a daze as his words processed in her mind.

"Why did you never tell me this before?" She asked him quietly, keeping her gaze turned away from him.

"Because I didn't want you to think that I only rescued you because-"

"Well why else did you rescue me?" She whipped around suddenly to face him with a hostile glare, her fury at his deception increasing. "You didn't know me then. I could've been a murderer and you would still have rescued me because of the way I look!"

"Ok, so the way you look meant that I was more likely to rescue you, but-" The desperate pleading that she was becoming all too familiar with was back in his voice.

"No! No buts! You lied to me! You let me believe that you rescued me because you're a good person! Because you're a knight! A king! But you're not...you're a liar!" She told him, yelling the last three words at him before turning and walking away.

He grabbed her wrist, spinning her round to face him. "Damn it, Esha! Just tell me! Do you like me or Caspian?"

She narrowed her eyes at his tone.

"Caspian is my friend. Which is far more then you will ever be." She said menacingly.

"Esha, please." He said, pleading once again as he tried to eloquently explain his love. "You're like a...it's like you've...you've infected me! And I can't seem to get you out of my system, no matter how much I know it'll hurt later!"

She narrowed her eyes again. "Then cut me away." She hissed, jerking her arm out of his grasp and running out.

"Esha!" Edmund roared, running out after her. He stopped when he saw who she was already with.

Caspian.

He had a hand either side of her arms as she talked frantically to him in whispered words. His head was bowed towards her as she looked up at him in an intimate pose. To a passer-by, they may have looked as though they were about to kiss. And Edmund was technically a passer-by.

With a growl, Edmund pounced on Caspian, pulling the older boy down.

Esha screamed in surprise and jumped back as the two rolled on the floor and almost pulled her down with them.

"Stop it!" She cried. "Stop it!"

Neither paid attention to her. Edmund punched Caspian and went for another, but Caspian stopped his fist just before it connected with his face. They rolled again and Esha scuttled backwards in alarm.

"Peter!" Esha screamed desperately as they rolled over.

The older boy came running down the corridor from the kitchen at her yell, a bread roll in hand. He blanched slightly at the sight of the two scrapping before stuffing the roll in his mouth in one go and trying to prise them apart. When a misaimed blow hit Peter and made him spit out his bread, he became fully involved in the now three-way fight.

Esha screamed loudly as though she had seen something scary and sure enough, all three scrambled up and drew their swords, looking around for any danger.

"What? What is it?" Caspian asked her urgently. She glared at all of them a moment before crossing her arms, her weight on one hip. She tapped her foot in annoyance. "Three royals behaving like children only days after a victory in battle...what do you have to say for yourselves?"

The three looked at each other in confusion. "Erm...sorry...?" Caspian asked.

"Stop sucking up to her!" Edmund said, pushing Caspian.

"Hey! If you would rather have her angry at you then fine! But I-"

"If it wasn't for you she wouldn't BE angry at me!" Edmund retorted.

"ME? How exactly did you figure that out?"

"Now, you two, let's just calm-" Peter inputted with both his hands up.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Caspian and Edmund both said in unison.

The three started fighting again and Esha rolled her eyes in annoyance and defeat. If they wanted to kill each other, then fine. But she had a growling stomach she needed to satisfy.

Just then, Susan walked up behind her, also from the kitchen. "Esha?" She called out "Have you seen Pet-" She stopped halfway through her sentence as she saw the three fighting on the floor. "What's-"

"They've decided to be children for the day." Esha replied. "Come get something to eat with me. Let's leave the children here. They'll stop when they feel bruised enough."

Susan nodded mutely and followed the younger girl as she turned on her heel and walked away, leaving the three boys oblivious to the departure of the reason they were fighting as they rolled around on the stone floor.


	20. Blood & Hurt

_Ok so I'm afraid this isn't a particularly long chapter, but give me a break! I just updated my other Narnia FanFic too! Please read the other one (Fluttering) if you haven't already because I'm pretty fond of it and although it doesn't start out amazingly, I like to think that it gets much better as it goes on and the plot develops. As always, please review because it makes me happy and if I'm happy, I'm more likely to update soon! Enjoy!_

Esha was sitting on her balcony, yet again, her legs dangling over the side in a precarious position. If a strong gust of wind blew from behind her, she could easily be pushed off to her death on the cliff below. But she didn't care. She felt strange. She could feel all of her limbs and could think clearly about anything if she tried, but as she let her guard down she felt funny, as though she wasn't entirely within herself. Everything seemed surreal and muffled, as though she was listening through water. Even in her strange state her sense of betrayal was so strong that it seemed to seep out of her skin, polluting the air around her. Her anger when Edmund first told her had evaporated and been replaced with sorrow.

Her thoughts kept going to back to happy memories. Ed joining her on The How. Seeing him through the bars on her door. Hiding from him and laughing. Laughing. The sound was echoing around her head constantly. But every few minutes she heard his words again.

"_My wife."_

But his laughter still swum around her brain while she heard them. It was in these times that it seemed to be mocking. Mocking her for letting her guard down. Mocking her for her hopes and dreams. As though it could be real; he was a King of old and she was plain and simple Esha. She may be a Telmarine beauty, but what did a King of old care when he could have absolutely any female in the world, included those who were married.

"_You look exactly like her."_

It was strange that she could remember every single word he'd said. She could picture his face in her mind. Shaking her head slightly she swivelled her legs over the banister and jumped down, going back into the room Caspian had given her for as long as she wanted it. It was beautiful and as far away from her previous cell as possible, but she didn't care about that right now.

She ran a hand through her hair. It was silky and shiny now and a slightly lighter colour and although she wasn't vain, she couldn't help running a hand through it constantly, if only to feel the reassuring texture.

"_My wife." _

Her mind repeated. "Stop it. Stop it." She muttered to herself, covering her face instead now as her hair fell back into place.

"_My wife."_

It was like a horrific conscience that kept nagging at her, constantly there and constantly making itself known. Deciding on some activity, she pulled on her new cloak and walked quickly through the corridor's down to the courtyard, her head down and hood up so she couldn't see anyone and wouldn't have to stop and make polite conversation.

Chatting guards were immediately quiet and clanked into place as they saw her approaching, servants carrying trays and sheets leapt to the side of the corridor. She passed the kitchen on her way and poked her head in. "Mrs. Alverez, could you please arrange for a bath for me?" She asked the housekeeper politely. The woman bowed her head in acknowledgement and Esha continued on her way.

"Esha." Someone called out. She knew that voice. She locked eyes with them without thinking, immediately turning back around and walking briskly in her original direction.

"Esha, please." He said, jogging up behind her. "I'm sorry. You know I am. Please don't make me suffer." Edmund said, pulling up in front of her and forcing her to a stop.

She looked at him icily before trying to go around him. He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to stay where she was. "Please. I fell in love with you this time. Not Ayesha."

She brushed aside that he had just told her he was in love with her and struggled in his grasp a moment before giving up and looking into his eyes again. "Esha please..."

He kept repeating those words. It was driving her mad. "I would do anything for you. I would climb mountains, or try and tame Aslan. I would go to the end of the world!"

Hadn't she read those exact words in a romance book Suzie had once lent her? "Yes, but would you stay there?" She asked patronizingly, trying to wriggle from his grasp again. His grip tightened and he pushed her back a few steps so she was against the wall.

"Over my dead body will you leave here without hearing me out." He said in an attempt at humour in the increasingly tense situation.

After a split seconds thought she came up with a witty answer. "I'll put flowers on your grave." She replied, her gaze stony. She wriggled yet again, banging her head when he pushed her back so forcefully that her hood fell down. He opened his mouth to say something, most probably apologise, but as he wasn't releasing her shoulders she did what her mother had taught her and kneed him in the groin. He doubled up, immediately letting go of her.

She walked back towards her room, the thought of a walk forgotten within her heavy, ringing head. Shutting the door loudly behind her she noticed with great appreciation that the bath was already there. It was a big metal tub and in it was steaming water with a variety of sweet smelling oils for her to use lined up on the side. Taking off her clothes as she walked over she climbed in, sliding into the hot water with a sigh of content. This was a plus of working with the Narnians, each creature or spirit could do something different. For example, the water nymphs could warm up the water. She guessed that was why her bath was ready so quickly.

She felt so tired. A bath was probably best for her. After this she could fall straight into bed and sleep forever. Deciding against the oils she rested her head back against the metal. It wasn't the comfiest she'd ever been but she still didn't feel entirely normal anyway. She ran her hand through the top of her hair and down the back. Feeling wetness she dropped her hand back into the water, immediately thinking it would be water. As her hand flopped down she noticed a redness that made her stare in a detached way. She brought her hand back out again and stared at it. A few tendrils of diluted red were still on her hand, not having had the time to be washed off. She ran her fingers through her hair again until she felt the wetness from before. Although she'd already seen it, she was unsure of what the red liquid on her hand was. Finally realising it was blood she let her hand fall back in the water tiredly. She didn't care. The sight of her own blood seemed to be exhausting her. She took a deep breath and slowly slid down underneath the water until she was completely covered. Her eyes were closed and now that she could no longer hear the ordinary sounds of the castle, she felt relieved. The blackness of the inside of her eyelids seemed to be looming at her, and she embraced it, wanting to make all of her confused and upset feelings go away.


	21. Help & Despair

_Yaaaaaay so I'm back after only 2 weeks! This is an achievement for me so everyone be proud of me! It's been so wonderful to get so many good reviews and I've had people inboxing me about how good this story is and begging me to update and it's sooooo nice to know that this story is so loved. I really hope that I continue to please everyone with the storyline. As always, please review because it makes me happy...I was so so so happy after all the positive feedback of the last chapter and I'm pretty sure this has made me update soon so keep it coming! Enjoy!_

Edmund spent a few minutes clutching his groin in pain before, regardless to his body's protests; he set of stumbling towards Esha's room. It was time for him to do some serious grovelling.

He nodded politely to everyone in the corridors and smiled at the Narnians he recognized before wincing in pain as soon as he was out of sight.

"Esha?" He asked, knocking on the door. Receiving no answer he knocked again, this time more loudly. "Esha?" He called again, waiting a few moments before opening the door and poking his head round. A quick scan of the room assured him that she wasn't there but a small trail of clothes led to the adjoining room that had her wardrobe in it that she used as a dressing room. "Esha?" he called for the third time, slowly walking forwards and hesitantly peering into the room. Nothing.

But the bath water was steaming...where was she?

He walked over to the bath, stretching out a finger to test the bath water and make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him. He noticed the dark shape and red tinge to the water and froze for a moment, one finger pointing towards the bath tub. With a gasp he leapt forwards, ending up half in the bath as he tried to haul her head above the surface.

The water slowed him down and he stepped into it, nearly crushing one of her hands as he straddled her, trying to get her in the air. He finally managed to and pushed the hair out of her face, slapping her cheek to try and get her to wake up. When she didn't he struggled some more to pick her up, her body lolling helplessly in his arms.

"HELP!" He shouted, hoping one of the guards nearby would hear.

He ran her through to the other room and dumped her awkwardly on the bed, just as wet as her now. "HELP!" He called again, hearing hoof beats outside. A female faun tottered in and immediately took control of the situation, rushing to Esha's side and pushing Edmund out of the way. He stood back helplessly, clutching and pulling at his hair.

"Esha it's-" Peter began, coming into the doorway. "Aslan, what happened?" He asked, his eyes round as saucers as he hurried over.

"She was- the bath- and I-" Edmund gabbled as Peter did the sensible thing and covered up her naked body with an extra bed sheet from the foot of her bed.

Edmund was still speaking in incoherent sentences until Esha coughed. He hurried to the bed and stood beside the faun with Peter on the other side of the bed. She kept coughing. And coughing. And coughing.

The faun stroked her forehead reassuringly and spoke to the two Kings in a low voice. "She's clearing her lungs from all the water she swallowed." Esha's coughing subsided to retches and the faun finally removed her hand, moving some of her hair away from her face and neck as she tried to breathe normally. The faun looked at her hand a moment, as did the two Kings.

"Blood." Peter said simply before catching on and putting his hand to the back of Esha's head. She flinched as he touched her head and his hand came away covered in blood. The faun immediately leapt into action yet again while the two Kings, who could handle any battle, just stood there stupidly.

The faun looked at them expectantly; she had been one of the archers with Susan in the battle. "Well go get Queen Lucy then!" She exclaimed as they both dithered.

"I'll go." Peter volunteered, glad of something to do.

Edmund dithered some more, finally deciding to bring the chair from Esha's dressing room in so he could sit at her side.

He slumped down, leaning forward on his knees tiredly. He was still soaked, his clothes clung to him everywhere and he shivered slightly as a cool breeze chilled him to the bone. A drip of water ran down his nose and he wiped it away, realising with numb surprise that he'd somehow got even his hair wet in his struggles.

Esha was finally resting; her hair clung to her face and neck, dampening the sheets around her. A bloodstain was slowly spreading on the pillow beneath her head. The combined colours of her dark hair, the white sheets and her red blood swam together in Edmund's vision as a drop of water ran down his forehead and into his eye, making him blink rapidly. Her breathing was deep and even now, though her skin stood out against the white sheets she was pale. And small. The huge bed seemed to engulf her small frame and Edmund felt further and further away from her with every passing second.

Lucy and Peter hurried in, their sudden movements breaking his trance.

Lucy already had her cordial out and open and Edmund could only that Aslan that the stuff never ran out.

The faun lifted Esha's head by her neck so she could swallow the drop as Lucy tilted it slowly into her mouth.

Esha coughed once more and then went back to resting.

All four of them sighed in relief and Edmund sagged a little more in his seat.

Peter noticed and walked over to him. "I think you should go Ed." He said quietly.

Edmund shook his head, spraying droplets of water. He wanted to stay with Esha.

"Ed! You're shivering! Go get changed! I'll look after Esha until you come back."

Edmund shook his head again, adamant that he wouldn't leave.

"Could you two give us a minute?" Peter asked Lucy and the Faun, dragging his struggling brother out and shutting the door behind them.

"I just need to stay with her." Edmund whispered, his eyes not moving from his feet.

"Why can't you leave for two minutes? That's all it takes to get changed."

"Don't you see?" Edmund hissed, suddenly coming to life, his eyes alight with a feverish brightness. "This is MY fault! It's my fault that she's lying here!" He said in a whisper, his eyes returning to the floor.

"But-" Peter started.

"I banged her head against the wall. I didn't mean to. It just happened." Edmund interrupted before Peter could start. "We were fighting and I pushed her, I was trying to make her listen to me! I forgot how light she is, and when I pushed her back she hit the wall hard. It's my fault." He was whispering again. "If something happens to her now, I have to be here, because it's my fault."

"Nothings going to happen to her, she's had Lucy's cordial and that can bring someone back from the edge of death. You go. I promise I'll look after her."

Edmund shook his head again.

"Ed…has it occurred to you that…Esha might not want you here when she wakes up?"

Edmund looked up at Peter slowly, realisation dawning on his face.

"Do you…do you…do-" He stuttered desperately.

"I don't know." Peter replied, trying not to look at the sadness in his younger brothers eyes. "I'll stay with her and let you know when she wakes up."

Peter opened the door, watching as the Faun and Lucy finished pulling new sheets up over Esha, they'd dressed her in a light blue nightdress, changed the bloody pillow and cleaned her up whilst the two had been talking outside.

Lucy and the Faun hurried out, talking in hushed voices about Lucy's cordial as Peter walked back into the room and sat on the rather damp seat Edmund had vacated.

Peter looked back at the door and Edmund, who was stood there looking at Esha. Peter recognised the heartbroken look on his brother's face. He'd had to look at it every day for a year until recently. And now it was back.


	22. Seeing & Understanding

_Ok, so I'll admit I haven't been as nice and quick with this update, but...this is possibly the longest chapter I've ever ever done! This is a massive achievement for me! Yet again it's been wonderful to get so many reviews and much thanks to Aislinn101 who created an account just so that they could review this story! If you love this story, please check out my 2 other Narnia stories...Shards Of A Haunted Mind is only on chapter 2, but I promise that Fluttering get's better as you go along! As always, please review and add to the many lists that you can add it to if you haven't already...Enjoy!_

Esha instantly knew she was dreaming when Peter's face loomed up in front of her. Everything around him was glaringly white and as she squinted at his face he smiled at her. "The greatest thing you will ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."

Within the next second he had disappeared and Esha was standing in the great hall. She was watching an older version of herself and Edmund; the two of them were alone at the table with the remains of breakfast spread out before them. The dream her was laughing, laughing so much that she wasn't breathing properly and Esha could feel it, her own chest was tight and she felt unbelievably happy. Edmund was laughing beside the dream her as he finished his story, his arm was draped over the back of her chair and each was leaning towards the other.

There was a ring on dream Esha's wedding finger, a simple gold band, but next to it was another, one with four tastefully large diamonds and a sapphire in the middle. She was also wearing a matching set of earrings and from her neck hung a sapphire pendant rimmed with smaller diamonds. They were all so beautiful and Esha knew they'd been designed specially for her. Her breath caught in her throat as she realised what her life could be like. Would be like, if she made the right choice.

She blinked and felt disorientated for a moment as the scene had changed. They were in a garden, the sun was bright and she was in a light Narnian sundress. Sat in front of her were Ed and her dream-self again, this time on a swinging garden seat. They were slightly older now, late twenties, perhaps. Ed's long legs were keeping them swinging, his arm was around her back as before and she watched as he reached out a long arm and picked a bright white flower from a bush behind them. He tucked her hair behind her ear and put the flower there, whispering in her ear and stroking her cheek. The dream her smiled up at him and kissed his cheek delicately.

Esha's breath caught in her throat, it was such a tender moment, a sweet instant that was never seen in real life.

She blinked and moved yet again, this time she was in a beautiful room. Sunlight streamed across the old wooden floors and reflected of the white sheets on the bed. She shared the room with much older versions of herself and Ed now. Both had completely grey hair and wrinkles, but they were laughter wrinkles. As Esha watched her dream-self picked up the sapphire necklace from the dressing table and clasped it around her neck, her whole body visibly brightening as she did. She smiled, her eyes crinkling at the edges and Ed walked up, hugging her from behind. This time the real Esha could hear what he was whispering, "My beautiful Esha. Everything is nothing compared to you."

The real Esha felt a tear trickle down her cheek. She didn't know why she was crying, but she was, and she didn't want to be in this dream anymore.

"Wake up." She whispered to herself, slapping her forehead and screwing her eyes shut. "Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up!"

But she couldn't wake up. The dream images of herself and Edmund stayed in front of her; their happiness was almost unbearable, it was all too perfect.

The brightness in the room intensified and Esha squinted in the direction the rays were coming from to see the figure of Aslan approaching. He walked straight past the dream projections as though they didn't exist and stopped beside Esha.

"You're in danger, little one." He rumbled at her.

"From what?" She finally managed to whisper, wiping her tears away.

"From choosing wrong and forcing yourself to be unhappy." He said, turning his great head to look deep into Esha's eyes. Lucy had told her about Aslan; how magnificent he was, but also how his words were often ambiguous. He left his advice open to interpretation; only the honest and noble could see the path they should take.

"I have more than my own happiness to consider." She croaked after a pause.

"Then your choice is easy." He replied quickly, looking at the two figures in front of them. "Our dreams show us our greatest desires."

"They also show us our greatest fears." She whispered, needing more confirmation.

"Sometimes our greatest desires are our greatest fears." Aslan's deep voice comfortingly told Esha.

The brightness around him intensified and became blinding until Esha finally heard other voices in the background, buzzing inside her head.

"_Your grapes, sir."_

"_Thank you, nothing like Narnian grapes!"_

"_No indeed, sir. If you don't mind me asking, how is she?"_

"_Still sleeping, I don't know when she'll wake up."_

"_Such a shame...but a good fortune she was found when she was!" _

The voices were fading and there was a brightness inside her eyelids. So this was what making yourself wake up from a dream was like.

Peter looked up from his book at the knock on the door. "Come in." He called. Caspians head poked around the door cautiously.

"Peter…" He said. "I just heard from Susan about Esha. How is she?"

"Still sleeping. It's only been a few hours."

"Is there anything you or she need?"

"Could you have some hot soup ready for when she wakes up? And some more grapes for me please." He said hopefully.

"Of course. Do you want me to sit with her?"

"No it's fine, I promised Ed."

Caspian nodded knowingly, backing out of the door quietly. Peter read a few more pages of his book before the grapes arrived, brought by a Telmarine Peter was sure he'd seen in the battle.

He was reading again when the sheets rustled before him. He looked up hopefully, smiling when he saw her eyes were slightly open.

"Good afternoon." He said as he rose up and sat on the edge of the bed by her.

She squinted at him before burying her face in the sheets. "Morning Peter." She mumbled roughly, coughing at the rawness of her throat.

He helped her sit up against the pillows and then gave her his goblet of wine. He'd forgotten to ask for some water for her.

As she drank he went to the door and sent for a bowl of hot broth and some water.

"What happened?" She asked as he sat back down on the bed. "Last thing I remember I was having a bath…and it wasn't this dark!"

"You hit your head and passed out in the bath." She instantly reached up and ran her hands through her hair. "I remember hitting my head, but it doesn't hurt…"

"We used Lucy's cordial to heal you." She nodded understandingly before taking another sip of wine.

"You know…it was Ed who saved you." He told her hesitantly, watching her reaction intently.

She looked at him sharply, scrutinising his face for a moment. Taking another sip of wine she blinked a few times before speaking again, "You mean…he saw me...naked...in the bath…?"

"Well…yes, but I don't think he was concentrating on that."

She groaned. She'd worry about all the facts later, but right now she was more concerned about who'd seen her naked!

"Who else saw me naked?" She rasped.

"Just Ed, and the Faun Jennivive, and…me." He told her, looking down at the sheets as he blushed.

She groaned again. "Great. Wonderful. Superb."

"By the way, I think you need to eat more." He commented, trying very hard to lighten the mood. It worked. She laughed and rested her head back tiredly.

"Peter?" Her voice was quiet and she kept her eyes focused on the ceiling above her instead of looking at him as he made a noise for her to continue. "Ed wasn't the only one who left someone behind, was he?"

"He told you about Ayesha." Peter said after a moment's hesitation with a sigh. He didn't like to speak about anyone in their past; especially his High Queen; it was easier if he kept the memory of her to himself. "No, he wasn't." He said, unwilling to elaborate further. "She was the most beautiful woman in the world." He said after a moment, swallowing hard as her face swam behind his eyes.

"How can you keep going without her? There are stories dedicated to your love." Esha whispered, finally turning her head to look at him.

"Because I know that one day I'll see her again. Aslan will bring us back together and all my suffering will be rewarded." Peter had thought about this every day and every night for over 6 months until he had finally come to this conclusion and although he still suffered the pain of being separated from his Queen, he felt a certain amount of comfort in knowing that he'd one day see her again.

There was a silence between the two as Esha thought this through and Peter composed himself.

"If you know that you'll see your Queen again one day, isn't it possible Edmund will see his?" Esha asked, staring at the ceiling once again in her awkwardness.

"No." She looked at him as his decisive tone gave her an answer without hesitation. Peter leant back in his chair as he haltingly explained what only a handful of people had known back in old Narnia before they'd left. "I believe that Aslan will unite us again because we are faithful to him and Narnia. Ayesha was not a Narnian; she was Telmarine, and I discovered her to be acting as a spy for the Telmarine people; an informant from my most intimate circle who related information back to Caspian the first. I think the Telmarine's invaded Narnia so quickly after we left because of her information. Because of this I doubt she will ever be reunited with Edmund." Peter finished his explanation as Esha contemplated his words in silence and weakly managed to sit up slightly with Peter's help. "You must promise me that you will never tell Edmund of this; he will interpret this as him betraying Narnia again and it will kill him."

Esha looked up at him sharply, angry that he was blaming Edmund. "His wife being a spy is not Edmund's fault!"

"Oh, I know!" Peter said, backtracking under her furious gaze. "But he will see it as his fault because he invited her in." Esha finally nodded her understanding and went back to gazing into space.

"I know Ed is the reason you hit your head," he continued, "but you know it was an accident, he cares too much to even hurt a fly around you."

"If he cares so much then why isn't he here?" She croaked, her voice slightly ragged after her angry outburst. She cleared her throat and spent her time looking anywhere but at Peter.

"I persuaded him to go. I wasn't sure if you'd want to see him…do you?"

She nodded after a moments pause. She did.

Peter rose, "I'll go get him."

As the door closed behind Peter she sighed, her dream had made her realise that she was meant to be with Edmund. As she and Peter had sat in momentary silence she had contemplated the possibility that the person she had taken to be herself in the dream had in fact been Ayesha, but Peter's account of Ayesha's betrayal reassured her that she had pictured herself in the dream. Edmund made her happy and she made him happy. She closed her eyes and she could still see image from her dream, of them both laughing and smiling at each other.

Peter hurried down the corridor, asking the guards which way Edmund had gone. Sure enough, he was only in his room around the corner and Peter burst in to see Edmund at the writing desk, his head in his hands. He looked up and Peter could see the red surrounding his eyes and the question burning at his lips.

Peter smiled. "She's fine. And she wants to see you."

Edmund rose quickly and ran out of Peters sight, only pausing when he reached Esha's door. He hesitated, yearning to see her and yet scared of what she might say.

He turned the handle and walked in slowly, his heart fluttering warmly as he saw her sitting up among the sheets.

She smiled at him and he automatically grinned.

She patted the bed beside her and moved the sheets so he could join her, she put her arms around his waist and nestled herself into his chest. He was too solid and muscled to be entirely comfortable, but this was what she needed. She needed a hug from him, and him alone.

He wrapped his arms around her tightly and kissed the top of her head before resting his cheek against it softly, closing his eyes and savouring the moment.

Neither of them spoke as they enjoyed the make-up moment, unwilling to ruin it with dialect.


	23. Coronation & Parting

_Yesss, so I'm updating after less than 2 weeks which is definitely an accomplishment...thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, it's wonderful to know this story is so well loved. Please review again, it'll make me happy..Enjoy!_

Esha was fine the next morning and attended breakfast with the remaining inhabitants of the castle. The royals were looking their best; it was Caspian's coronation today and then Aslan would invite the Telmarine's to leave if they wished.

"Morning." She called to everyone as a Telmarine servant opened the great hall doors for her.

Every head swivelled to look at her.

"Good morning Esha. How do you feel?" Caspian asked, standing up from his place at the head of the table.

"Fantastic." She smiled at him as she walked past, thanking a faun as he pulled out a chair for her.

Edmund smiled across the table at her and she grinned back. He'd gone back to his own rooms late last night – something Esha knew wasn't allowed to happen in Telmar.

Chatter started up again at the table and Esha engaged in conversation with the young faun next to her, Brithlow, who told her a few stories of old Narnia that her mother hadn't told her.

Peter noticed Edmund staring at her, his food abandoned on his plate. "It's strange what love does to you Ed." He said quietly with a sigh.

Edmunds eyes snapped onto Peters, he hadn't realised he was being watched. He gave a tiny smile, his eyes back on Esha who laughed at the Fauns story, completely oblivious.

After breakfast, everyone drifted out of the hall in twos and threes and began to walk to the town square when Caspian would become king. Edmund walked over to Esha once the bulk had left and helped her out of her seat with a smile. The two were slowly walking across the courtyard in the direction of the gardens when they spied Peter and Susan just leaving Aslan and the great lion turned to look at Esha and Edmund.

"Join me." He said quietly, his voice somehow reaching them across the courtyard. The two walked to him quickly, standing either side as they began to circle the courtyard. "You will be leaving Narnia today, Edmund, bur fear not, you will return to Narnia some day." Silence followed his words and both thought over what he'd said. "I believe you have a question for me Edmund." He rumbled, stopping and observing the two as they now faced him.

"I wish to take Esha with me." He told him, clasping her hand in his as he spoke.

"That is not a question." Aslan pointed out.

"Is she able to come back to my world?"

Aslan paused. "It is not her time. She belongs in Narnia."

Edmund was holding Esha's hand so hard it hurt. The two stayed silent, unsure how to respond now that their dreams had been shattered.

"I'm going to…I'm going to go down to the ceremony. " She said slowly, pulling her hand softly out of Edmunds. She curtseyed to Aslan and hurried out of the castle.

"Aslan, I can't leave her! I can't go back to being the same person I was when I had to leave Ayesha behind…" Edmund said, pleading with Aslan to understand.

"It is not her time. You will see her again one day, but she will never fit into your world the way you picture it."

Edmund nodded dejectedly and left Aslan, running quickly out of the castle after Esha.

Peter placed the crown on Caspian's head and the crowd erupted into cheers. Edmund was clapping, but only half-heartedly. As an old king of Narnia, he stood on the podium with Peter, Lucy and Susan as Caspian knelt at their feet. Esha was only an ordinary Telmarine; she did not have enough rank to join them so stood at the front of the crowd with a leopard she did not know and Trufflehunter.

She knew he was staring at her but she ignored him and concentrated solely on Caspian as he became her King.

The five ahead jumped onto horses and with Aslan ahead of them led the celebrating procession through the streets of Narnia to the castle. Esha was able to walk behind them now, proud to be part of the procession for she had fought beside the Narnians.

She smiled and waved as she recognised faces in the crowd; family friends, peasants whose land her father had owned.

She looked beautiful, her hair was freshly washed and fell around her face elegantly, it shone and sparkled in the sunlight while her dress complimented her figure, accentuating her waist and its colour brought out her hazel eyes.

She kept up her false smile all the way to the castle and took up her place between Trumpkin and the Professor, barely listening to Caspain's words as she stared out at the crowd unseeingly, bracing herself for what was to come.

Suddenly there was movement and Esha looked up, realising that Glozelle and the Queen were leaving. Glozelle looked at her and inclined his head and she returned the gesture, gaping as he disappeared.

She went back to looking despondently out over the crowd as Edmund once again tried to catch her eye. She wasn't ready yet. She hadn't prepared herself enough, made herself strong enough to refrain from crying.

The four siblings walked over, each selecting the individual they'd become closest too for their farewell and, of course, Edmund chose Esha.

She finally looked him in the eye, forcing herself to breath as normally as possible.

He bowed stiffly to her and she curtseyed back, her eyes downcast.

There was a moment of awkward silence before she raised her eyes to meet his and the two crashed into a hug.

"I'm going to miss you." He whispered into her hair huskily, holding back his tears.

Her arms tightened around his waist. "I'm glad to have met you." She whispered back, her own voice deeper with emotion.

They broke apart, Edmund towered over her a second before he raised her chin and bent his head and kissed her, trying to put all of his feelings into the one kiss as he said his final goodbye. Esha stood on her tip-toes to deepen the kiss and he wrapped his arms strongly around her waist as she circled hers around his neck.

The two weren't aware of the Narnians and Telmarine's wolf-whistling, or of Caspian and Susan following their example a few feet away. To them, they were the only two in the world for just that moment.

They broke apart, resting their foreheads lightly against each others for a moment and Edmund allowed a tear to escape his eye as he closed them for a second, savouring the moment.

"I love you." He whispered, his voice breaking as he engulfed her in a hug for the last time, resting his cheek on her head as he breathed in her scent for the last time and she buried her head in his chest.

"I love you too." She whispered into his chest, feeling safe and never wanting to let him go.

They broke apart slowly, Edmund leaving the tear on his face and Esha leaving the ones flowing down her cheeks untouched. His hands clasped hers by her side as he kissed her lightly on her forehead as his last sign of love before turning to leave, their hands only breaking apart at the last moment. His strong hands yearned to feel her slim and slender hands in his again milliseconds after they had let go. He joined the line his siblings were in, refusing to look at his siblings and trying to keep his tears down, knowing it would only make things worse.

Esha too kept her head down, her eyes closed as she struggled with her emotions.

"ED!" Cried Lucy.

Esha looked up, confused as she saw only three Pevensie siblings.

Peter. Susan. Lucy.

And Edmund. Lying on the floor. Blood covering his chest.

Alsan roared in and took a great leap into the waiting group of Telmarine's. They all scattered, several screaming in fear but the great Lion had only one target. He took down the terrified soldier, killing him in one swipe, but Esha was unaware of this, all she could see was Edmund.

"No." She whispered, running the few steps it took to reach his side. Her knees thumped to the ground next to him, her eyes fixed on his face. "No. Ed. No." Her voice was low and desperate as she begged him, shaking her head. Her breathing was shallow, almost matching his.

He opened his mouth to say something, but all that came out was a trickle of blood.

His eyes closed, taking their warmth with them. "NO!" Esha screamed, her vision blurry as she cried. She grasped his face between her two hands, using one to push back the lock of hair that was always falling in his left eye.

"No! No! No!" She yelled, over and over again as her heart broke.

Caspian grabbed her from behind, pulling her up and away from Edmund. She struggled in his grasp as he hugged her, sobbing as he held her back.

"The cordial! The cordial!" She cried looking at the Pevensie children.

The three who remained stood huddled together, the two girls crying and Peter only gaping in shock.

He shook his head numbly at Esha and she realised that Lucy didn't have it; she'd given it to a cluster of birds to take back to the Narnian treasure vault.

At his look Esha gave up her fight, her fight to escape Caspian's arms and her fight to deny Edmund was dead. She sagged against him, completely silent. Her tears continued to fall down her cheeks, but no sound escaped her.


	24. Ghosts & Farewell

_Reeeeeeally not a long chapter here, and I'm very sorry for not updating sooner! But I'm afraid this is the end of the road...the final chapter (sob sob). Thank you to so many people for your wonderful reviews and faithfulness in following my story. I really hope I haven't disappointed you. As always, please review, it'll make me happy and be a lovely end to I Couldn't Leave Her! Enjoy it like never before!_

Esha was spread out on Edmund's bed, staring at the ceiling but seeing nothing.

She was exhausted physically and mentally, her energy seemed to drain out of her body with her tears, leaving tracks across her cheeks and red-rimmed eyes.

Two flaming torches lit up the room. Caspian spent most of his time with Esha now, comforting her. The Pevensie children all had each other, Esha had no-one.

Feeling like she was being watched, she turned her head to the side, sitting up as she saw Edmund standing in the doorway, waiting for her to notice him. He looked happy. He was smiling at her and he wore elegant clothes, his hair falling in one eye.

"It's gone now. The pain's gone." He told her.

"And so are you." She murmured, closing her eyes.

Silence followed her words.

"Are you going to haunt me now, Ed? You did when you were alive so you might as well now you're dead." She said indifferently, opening her eyes and raising as eyebrow as she stood up.

He chuckled, pushing himself off the doorframe and sauntering over to her.

"Only you can see me Esha, but you don't need me to tell you that." He told her with a crooked smile. "I just came to tell you that I love you. With all my heart. And I will never leave you."

There was a pause as they both stared at each other. "But you have left me." Esha whispered. "Why?"

"Aslan explained it to me. You never realise what you had until you've lost it." He said quietly. Esha was unable to reply, speechless in horror that she could be the reason for Edmund's death.

His face was sad and he leaned forwards, placing his hands either side of her face.

They both leaned forwards and their lips touched in a gentle kiss. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was enough to make another rip in Esha's already broken heart.

She clutched him to her, burying her face in his chest.

"Please come back." She begged him, the tears that she thought she'd run out of flowing again.

"I can't." He whispered to her, knowing she needed him now more than ever, but there was nothing he could say to comfort her.

"Please." She pleaded desperately. "I need you."

"I'll come back one day." He promised as he gently pulled away, unwrapping her arms from around his waist.

He bit his lip and with one last look at her tearful face, turned and walked away.

Esha lay back on the bed, curled up on her side, hugged his pillow to her chest and cried herself to sleep.

They stood on the podium yet again the next day. Edmund's body had disappeared hours after his death, vanishing completely out of Narnia. Aslan had revealed to the Pevensie's that he was alive in their world, and Esha took some comfort knowing this, but at the same time she was still faced with an undeterminable amount of time without him.

She was but a shell of what she had been just yesterday. She spoke to no-one and avoided eye-contact. Her feelings of love had been so intense in their last few minutes together that when he had been killed, her world had shattered so loudly that no amount of crying could drown out the sound of it breaking.

Esha curtsied to Peter and he gave her a reassuring hug and tried to smile, but her obvious distress prevented it.

The three left with their heads bowed, leaving behind the world they loved without a backwards glance.

The tree re-twisted itself, and just as quickly as that, they were gone.

**THE SEQUEL, **_**'LAVENDER MOON'**_** IS OUT NOW! CHECK IT OUT!**


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